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A spring breaker who went viral last week for not giving a crap about the coronavirus during a television interview has now apologized.
Brady Sluder, a high school graduate and Soundcloud rapper from Milford, Ohio, became the face of young people not taking the pandemic seriously after appearing in a CBS News video filmed in Miami.
"If I get corona, I get corona," Sluder said in the video. "At the end of the day, I'm not going to let it stop me from partying. We've been waiting for Miami spring break for a while.
"We're just out here having a good time. Whatever happens, happens."
“If I get corona, I get corona. At the end of the day, I'm not gonna let it stop me from partying”: Spring breakers are still flocking to Miami, despite coronavirus warnings. https://t.co/KoYKI8zNDH
The video came amid backlash against Florida beachgoers who continued to pack beaches, ignoring social distancing guidelines designed to stop the spread of the virus.
On Monday, Sluder posted a public apology on his Instagram account, the Cincinnati Enquirer first reported.
Sluder apologized for what he said in the video, saying, "I wasn't aware of the severity of my actions and comments.
"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.
"Our generation may feel invincible, like I did when I commented," he added. "But we have a responsibility to listen and follow the recommendations in our communities."
Though young, healthy people have a lower risk of developing serious complications from the coronavirus disease COVID-19, many twenty- and thirtysomethings have still been hospitalized or even died from it.
Young people who don't socially distance themselves pose perhaps the greatest risk to the public, as many who contract the virus don't exhibit symptoms and can unknowingly spread it around.
Sluder urged people to "listen to your communities and do as health officials say."
"Life is precious," he said. "Don’t be arrogant and think you’re invincible like myself."
Despite Florida's rapidly rising number of COVID-19 cases, Gov. Ron DeSantis has refused to issue a statewide order closing beaches, instead saying beachgoers are required to follow social distancing guidelines and limit parties to 10 people.
Some Florida mayors have taken stricter precautions than the governor, with Miami Beach and Fort Lauderdale closing beaches and directing residents to stay home.
On Saturday, the University of Tampa said five of their students had diagnosed with COVID-19 after traveling together on spring break.