44 UT Austin students have COVID-19 after spring break trip to Mexico

AUSTIN, Texas -- Forty-four students from the University of Texas at Austin have tested positive for the coronavirus and were self-isolating as of April 1. Initially, 28 students tested positive.

Two weeks ago, the Austin Public Health Department began an investigation after a cluster of positive COVID-19 cases formed after a group of young travelers returned from a spring break vacation in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico.

Approximately 70 people in their 20s departed in a chartered plane for a spring break trip, amid the coronavirus pandemic, according to APH. 

Some of the group returned on separate commercial flights.

"The university is working closely with Austin Public Health to assist in contact tracing," said J.B. Bird, the UT Austin Director of Media Relations & Issues Management. "The incident is a reminder of the vital importance of taking seriously the warnings of public health authorities on the risks of becoming infected with COVID-19 and spreading it to others."

Figures show nearly half of those testing positive for COVID-19 in Austin-Travis County were between the ages of 20 and 40.

While COVID-19 causes only mild illness for most people, it poses a significant danger to vulnerable populations, including older people and those who have underlying health conditions such as heart disease, immunodeficiency disease, diabetes and lung disease.

Austin Public Health continued to ask the wider community to take daily preventative actions to stop the spread of disease, including:

If you are a caretaker, be sure to establish a plan in the event you are sick.