'Not going to let it stop me from partying:' Many ignoring social distancing guidelines amid virus pandemic

MIAMI, Fla. -- For days, health officials have been warning us to stay inside and avoid large groups but not everyone is heeding that advice.

Avoid large social gatherings, keep a safe distance from other people, and stay home whenever possible. These are just of a few of the federal health recommendations to slow down the spread of the coronavirus.

However, many young people are choosing to ignore these guidelines.

In Florida, spring break is seemingly in full swing. Thousands of college students, flocking to beaches despite the social distancing suggestions.

Although bars and nightclubs are closed, many millennials are vowing to keep the party going.

'If I get corona, I get corona. At the end of the day, I'm not going to let it stop me from partying," said Brady Sluder, spring-breaker from Ohio.

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has come under fire for not closing the state's beaches. He says it's up to local governments to make their own decisions.

Choosing instead to order a 10-person limit at all beach gatherings.

The message, I think, for spring breakers is the party is over in Florida. You are not going to be able to congregate on many beaches in the state," said Governor Ron DeSantis.

Many cities are ordering their public beaches to shut down but the outdoors isn't entirely off-limits.

The government is actually encouraging people to get fresh air -- as long as they stay six feet away from each other.

While social distancing is not a legal requirement health experts say its the best way to curb the spread of the highly contagious virus.

"Anything that might seem punitive is not punitive. We're trying to contain and protect people from being negatively affected," said Eric Griggs, M.D., health educator.

Some officials are going even further than just social distancing -- ordering residents to stay home, through "shelter-in-place" declarations.