The University of Tampa in Florida has announced that at five of its students, who were celebrating spring break, have contracted coronavirus.

The university shared the news in a statement on its Twitter account.

“UT has been notified that five UT students, travelling together and with other UT students during Spring Break, have tested positive for Covid-19,” they wrote.

“We sincerely wish our students, and any others who may be affected, a full and rapid recovery.”

The university, like many others across the country, moved all of it’s teaching online this month, but residence halls will be open for the remainder of the spring semester.

Young people partying in large groups for spring break have received criticism online over the last few weeks for ignoring the government’s recommendation of social distancing measures.

However, some have blamed the governor of Florida for refusing to take more drastic measures to prevent huge gatherings on the state’s beaches.

“If I get corona, I get corona. At the end of the day, I’m not going to let it stop me from partying,” one party-goer said.

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"I’ve been waiting, we’ve been waiting for Miami spring break for a while. About two months we’ve had this trip planned, two, three months, and we’re just out here having a good time.”

Another person said that the pandemic was being blown “way out of proportion”.

Over 332,000 cases of Covid-19 have been recorded worldwide while the death toll surpassed 14,500, according to the World Health Organisation.

The west coast beach has remained open during spring break alongside other Tampa Bay beaches as the number of coronavirus cases continue rise across the state.