Thousands may have been exposed to coronavirus in 2020, CDC says

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2 hr 37 min ago

Thousands of commercial flight passengers may have been exposed to coronavirus in 2020, CDC says

From CNN's Pete Muntean, Jamie Gumbrecht, and Greg Wallace

Travelers wait to check their bags at San Francisco International Airport in San Francisco, California, on Friday, January 31, 2020. David Paul Morris/Bloomberg via Getty Images

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention now says thousands of passengers on board commercial flights may have been exposed to coronavirus since the start of 2020.

In a statement emailed to CNN, the CDC says it was made aware of 1,600 flights between January and August where a person on board may have had Covid-19, potentially exposing 10,900 people "within a 6-foot range for droplet transmission" to coronavirus.

"CDC identified and notified relevant health departments about these 10,900 on-board close contacts," said the statement.

CDC said it has received reports of Covid-19 cases among people who were identified as contacts on flights, but noted this data is limited by incomplete contact information, delayed notification of an infectious traveler and incomplete information about testing and outcomes for contacts, among other factors.

The new data, first reported by The Washington Post, comes as air carriers are ratcheting up their insistence that air travel is safe. Air travel in the United States remains at roughly 30% of last year's levels.

"You are a lot safer in an airplane... than you are probably in your own home," Nick Calio of Airlines for America told CNN on Tuesday. "People don’t like being in a confined space, however, as opposed to being in your house, in a grocery store, in a church, in a bar or restaurant, or even a playground, you’re a lot better off.”

In June, Vice President Mike Pence called for airlines to implement a contact-tracing app, but no announcement has been made since.

1 hr 31 min ago

UK records highest daily increase in coronavirus cases since May

From CNN's Hilary McGann in London

People wait outside a Covid-19 testing center in Walthamstow on September 23, in London, England. Mark Case/Getty Images

The United Kingdom recorded its third highest daily increase in new coronavirus cases since the beginning of the pandemic on Wednesday, with 6,178 cases confirmed over the last 24 hours.

The latest government data marks the highest daily increase since May 7 and brings the UK's total number of confirmed cases to 409,729.

As of Wednesday, there are currently 1,469 coronavirus patients in hospitals across the UK -- 134 of which were admitted in the last 24 hours.

A further 37 virus-related fatalities were reported on Wednesday, raising the UK's Covid-19 death toll to 41,862.

New restrictions: This latest surge in cases comes just a day after UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced a series of new restrictions to stem the spread of the virus, including a curfew on parts of the country's hospitality industry and tougher financial penalties for those who violate regulations.

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