Cancel South Padre Island Spring Break; COVID-19 Risks
The Issue
As of March 13, 2020 10:00 AM, there have been 44 cases of coronavirus confirmed in Texas [1], and another 1,171 cases in the rest of the United States [2]. The total number of confirmed cases globally has reached 125,000 [3].
Additionally, as of March 10, 2020, the mayor and city manager of South Padre island have issued a statement that they will allow spring break operations to continue and have determined that the current risk for coronavirus (also known as COVID-19) is low for the area and we do not reflect areas with large events, such as Austin's South by Southwest festival [4].
However, spring break at South Padre Island can invite any number of people up to 50,000 in a single month [5], with growing concerns about safety for local community members, specifically since a lot of the attendees come from out of state/country.
This is of great concern because the median age for South Padre Island residents is 54.2 years old [6] and reports from the Center for Disease Control (CDC) and World Health Organization (WHO) have stated that COVID-19 is more of a concern for those above the age of 40, with an exponential increase in risk for each decade [7].
We are asking that local and state government officials get involved in cancelling spring break festivities due to risk. Currently, there have been no confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the Rio Grande Valley. Spring Break 2020 can possibly change that. Local youth who attend the beach may get sick and bring the disease back to their homes, where there are many elderly and much poverty. Another concern is that the RGV does not currently have any tests for COVID-19, so true determination of risk and disease progression is only speculation and it is important to handle this with caution.
COVID-19 is a public health issue that has already caused WHO to declare the status as a pandemic, and the CDC has stated that the United States is approaching Level 2 status regarding the disease [8].
We urge that State Governor Greg Abbott show leadership in response to COVID-19 by suspending all major activities taking place at South Padre Island to protect the health of the general public living in the Rio Grande Valley.
We also urge US Senators John Cornyn and Ted Cruz, SPI Mayor Patrick McNulty, US Congressman District 34 Filemon Vela, SPI City Manager Randy Smith, TX Senate District 27 Rep Eddie Lucio Jr, TX House District 37 Rep Alex Dominguez, Cameron County Emergency Management Coordinator Tom Hushen, Cameron County Assistant Emergency Management Coordinator Charles Huskins, and Cameron County Judge Eddie Trevino, to support Greg Abbott in this important decision.
The safety and well-being of the community should always be prioritized over profits.
2: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/cases-in-us.html
3: https://www.cnn.com/world/live-news/coronavirus-outbreak-03-13-20-intl-hnk/index.html
4: https://www.valleymorningstar.com/2020/03/12/spring-break-to-continue/
6: https://worldpopulationreview.com/us-cities/south-padre-island-tx-population/
7: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/specific-groups/high-risk-complications.html
8: https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/notices/alert/coronavirus-global
The Issue
As of March 13, 2020 10:00 AM, there have been 44 cases of coronavirus confirmed in Texas [1], and another 1,171 cases in the rest of the United States [2]. The total number of confirmed cases globally has reached 125,000 [3].
Additionally, as of March 10, 2020, the mayor and city manager of South Padre island have issued a statement that they will allow spring break operations to continue and have determined that the current risk for coronavirus (also known as COVID-19) is low for the area and we do not reflect areas with large events, such as Austin's South by Southwest festival [4].
However, spring break at South Padre Island can invite any number of people up to 50,000 in a single month [5], with growing concerns about safety for local community members, specifically since a lot of the attendees come from out of state/country.
This is of great concern because the median age for South Padre Island residents is 54.2 years old [6] and reports from the Center for Disease Control (CDC) and World Health Organization (WHO) have stated that COVID-19 is more of a concern for those above the age of 40, with an exponential increase in risk for each decade [7].
We are asking that local and state government officials get involved in cancelling spring break festivities due to risk. Currently, there have been no confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the Rio Grande Valley. Spring Break 2020 can possibly change that. Local youth who attend the beach may get sick and bring the disease back to their homes, where there are many elderly and much poverty. Another concern is that the RGV does not currently have any tests for COVID-19, so true determination of risk and disease progression is only speculation and it is important to handle this with caution.
COVID-19 is a public health issue that has already caused WHO to declare the status as a pandemic, and the CDC has stated that the United States is approaching Level 2 status regarding the disease [8].
We urge that State Governor Greg Abbott show leadership in response to COVID-19 by suspending all major activities taking place at South Padre Island to protect the health of the general public living in the Rio Grande Valley.
We also urge US Senators John Cornyn and Ted Cruz, SPI Mayor Patrick McNulty, US Congressman District 34 Filemon Vela, SPI City Manager Randy Smith, TX Senate District 27 Rep Eddie Lucio Jr, TX House District 37 Rep Alex Dominguez, Cameron County Emergency Management Coordinator Tom Hushen, Cameron County Assistant Emergency Management Coordinator Charles Huskins, and Cameron County Judge Eddie Trevino, to support Greg Abbott in this important decision.
The safety and well-being of the community should always be prioritized over profits.
2: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/cases-in-us.html
3: https://www.cnn.com/world/live-news/coronavirus-outbreak-03-13-20-intl-hnk/index.html
4: https://www.valleymorningstar.com/2020/03/12/spring-break-to-continue/
6: https://worldpopulationreview.com/us-cities/south-padre-island-tx-population/
7: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/specific-groups/high-risk-complications.html
8: https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/notices/alert/coronavirus-global
The Decision Makers
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Petition created on March 13, 2020