Spring breaker apologizes for 'insensitive' coronavirus comments

A spring breaker who went viral last week after he said "If I get corona, I get corona," while partying in Miami amid social distancing warnings by health experts to prevent spreading the coronavirus, apologized Tuesday.

"I would like to sincerely apologize for the insensitive comment I made in regards to COVID-19 while on spring break," Brady Sluder wrote on Instagram a week after he told a reporter, "At the end of the day, I’m not going to let it stop me from partying." He said he’d been waiting for spring break for a "long time."

Florida college students test positive for coronavirus after spring break trip

On Instagram Tuesday, Sluder said he wasn’t aware at the time of the "severity" of his comments and actions and he now wants to "own up to the mistakes" he made.

Sluder was among crowds of spring breakers who continued to party at Florida beaches last week, as health officials advised social distancing and states started banning large crowds and issuing stay-at-home orders.

"Like many others, I have elderly people who I adore more than anything in the world and other family members who are at risk, and I understand how concerning this disease is for us all," he wrote. 

"Unfortunately, simply apologizing doesn’t justify my behavior," he added. "I’m simply owning up to my mistakes and taking full responsibility for my actions."

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By Tuesday, at least five Florida college students had tested positive for the virus after returning from spring break and last week Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Gimenez ordered all of the beaches in the county to close. Beaches in Fort Lauderdale and Clearwater Beach, which are popular with spring breakers, are also closed, according to Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis.