Coronavirus: 53 UT-Austin Students Infected After Vacationing

AUSTIN, TX — The number of University of Texas at Austin students diagnosed with the new coronavirus after vacationing to coastal Mexico in a group of more than 200 others has increased to 53, a school spokesperson confirmed.

A group of 211 students went on a chartered trip to Cabo San Lucas over spring break against health officials' advice related to social distancing as a method of blunting the spread of illness. Upon their return, 49 were diagnosed with the respiratory illness — an outbreak of infection that has since grown to 53, UT-Austin spokesperson J.B. Bird told Patch in response to an email.

The university originally reported on April 3 that 49 students had been positively diagnosed for the respiratory illness.

Related story: Coronavirus: 211 UT-Austin Students Took Trip, 49 Now Infected

Previously, UT-Austin officials said 70 students traveled to Mexico on a chartered flight for spring break, with the others traveling separately on commercial flights. A comany named JusCollege arranged the trip.