“We have seen footage of people enjoying spring break festivities maskless,” Walensky said. “This is all in the context of, still, 50,000 cases per day.” She added that a recent spike in Europe was a warning of what could be in store for the United States if caution went to the warming spring wind.

“They simply took their eye off the ball,” Walensky said, in apparent reference to countries like Italy and Germany.

But with U.S. colleges now on break and Americans young and old eager to travel, some critics say it’s time to disregard guidance they describe as needlessly cautious.

“Come Back to Florida for Spring Break,” read the headline of a widely shared op-ed in the Wall Street Journal by conservative pundit Dave Seminara. “Some students will behave irresponsibly on spring break,” Seminara conceded. “But the answer isn’t to punish everyone.”