Maskless college students party in streets to kick off semester, Georgia video shows
Coronavirus cases continue to trend in the wrong direction in Georgia and other parts of the U.S. That didn’t stop students at the University of North Georgia from kicking off the semester with a sizeable back-to-school bash.
Hundreds took to the streets for the off-campus shindig in Dahlonega, days before the start of the semester, videos shared on social media show. In the clips, party-goers are crowded close together with few of them wearing face masks.
“I started seeing the videos, and I was honestly kind of appalled that people were willing to take that risk,” Julianna, a UNG student who didn’t give her last name, told FOX5 Atlanta.
The gathering, replete with music and drinks, was hosted at a private, off-campus apartment complex late Saturday, a spokesperson for the university said.
“We are disappointed that many of our students chose to ignore COVID-19 public health guidance by congregating in a large group without social distancing or face coverings,” Sylvia Carson, executive director of communications at UNG, told McClatchy News in a statement.
The party took place the same day Georgia reported close to 3,400 new COVID-19 cases in a day. Julianna didn’t attend Saturday’s shindig, but said it happens each year on the weekend before students head back to class.
“It’s always huge,” she told FOX 5 Atlanta. “Typically people will park on the sides of the roads, the roads leading up to the apartment complex, people will park at the school and walk.”
As of Monday, there were more than 237,000 cases across the state and over 4,700 deaths, according to the Georgia Department of Public Health. Data shows Georgians aged 18-29 account for the largest share of coronavirus cases, surpassing all other age groups.
While there’s no statewide mask mandate, Gov. Brian Kemp recently signed a new executive order allowing some local governments to enforce its own mask rules, McClatchy News reported. The governor had previously barred local cities, including Atlanta, from making face masks a requirement.
“However, if they implement such a requirement, there are numerous exceptions and a limit on penalties,” Candice Broce, a spokesperson for Kemp’s office, told the newspaper. “Of most importance, this order will contain very strong protections for business owners and private property. Specifically for businesses, the owner will still be able to decide whether to have a face covering requirement or not.”
The governor’s order also extended shelter-in-place orders for “medically fragile” Georgians and other coronavirus-related guidelines.
At the University of North Georgia, students must wear masks inside campus buildings.
“The University of North Georgia continues to emphasize to our students and university community that everyone has an individual responsibility both on and off campus to follow guidance from the Georgia Department of Public Health and the CDC to prevent the spread of the virus,” Carson told McClatchy News.
The university’s 18,000 plus students returned for their first full day of classes on Monday, Aug. 17.
This story was originally published August 17, 2020 at 1:11 PM with the headline "Maskless college students party in streets to kick off semester, Georgia video shows."