Coronavirus updates: 'Close contact' definition updated by CDC
The CDC offered new, more strict guidance on Wednesday.
A pandemic of the novel coronavirus has now killed more than 1.1 million people worldwide.
Over 41.1 million people across the globe have been diagnosed with COVID-19, the disease caused by the new respiratory virus, according to data compiled by the Center for Systems Science and Engineering at Johns Hopkins University. The criteria for diagnosis -- through clinical means or a lab test -- has varied from country to country. Still, the actual numbers are believed to be much higher due to testing shortages, many unreported cases and suspicions that some national governments are hiding or downplaying the scope of their outbreaks.
Since the first cases were detected in China in December, the virus has rapidly spread to every continent except Antarctica.
The United States is the worst-affected country, with more than 8.3 million diagnosed cases and at least 221,987 deaths.
California has the most cases of any U.S. state, with more than 886,000 people diagnosed, according to Johns Hopkins data. California is followed by Texas and Florida, with over 868,000 cases and over 760,000 cases, respectively.
Nearly 200 vaccine candidates for COVID-19 are being tracked by the World Health Organization, at least 10 of which are in crucial phase three studies. Of those 10 potential vaccines in late-stage trials, there are currently five that will be available in the United States if approved.
Latest headlines:
- New CDC study finds multiple, brief exposures within 6 feet can heighten risk of transmission
- New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy self-isolating after close contact with someone who tested positive
- US surgeon general says herd immunity could 'lead to many complications/deaths'
- Analysis shows rise in COVID-19 hospitalizations in 42 US states
- US reports over 60,000 new cases, nearly 1,000 deaths
New CDC study finds multiple, brief exposures within 6 feet can heighten risk of transmission
A new study out Wednesday from the CDC found that multiple brief exposures within 6 feet of someone infected can heighten the risk of COVID-19 transmission.
Previously, the CDC had advised that a good rule of thumb is that you can contract the virus if you spend at least 15 minutes within 6 feet of a person with COVID-19.
In the new study, however, researchers found that a corrections officer working in a Vermont prison appears to have contracted the virus during "multiple brief encounters" with six incarcerated people who had COVID-19 but didn't know it yet. The six people were still awaiting the results of their tests.
The encounters were very brief (one minute or less), but the corrections officer overall had 22 encounters adding up to about 17 nonconsecutive minutes of possible exposure.
This scenario shows that in addition to 15 consecutive minutes within 6 feet, it might also be possible to contract the virus if you have multiple, shorter exposures that collectively add up to more than 15 minutes.
ABC News’ Sony Salzman contributed to this report.
Chief adviser for Operation Warp Speed says all Americans could be immunized with vaccine by June
Dr. Moncef Slaoui, chief adviser for the Trump administration's Operation Warp Speed effort to accelerate a vaccine rollout, told ABC News Wednesday that every American could be immunized June 2021.
"It's a plan, it's not a certainty," Slaoui told ABC News' Bob Woodruff. "But the plan should make it such that by June everybody could have been immunized in the United States. We will have enough vaccine doses. I really hope most people will take the vaccines."
He added there are two vaccines in Phase 3 trials that are on hold, "and they are imminently going to have the hold lifted," referring to the fact that AstraZeneca and Johnson & Johnson have paused their trials. While this "does have an impact" on speed, Slaoui added, "that's fine, because the number one priority is safety of course."
"If that means the trial has to stop for a month ... that's what we'll do," he said.
Spain tops 1 million cases
Spain has become the first nation in the European Union to hit the 1 million mark for coronavirus cases.
The country has reported a total of 1,005,295 cases and 34,366 fatalities, according to data from Johns Hopkins University.
New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy self-isolating after close contact with someone who tested positive
New Jersey’s governor said Wednesday he will self-isolate after he was in close proximity to someone who just tested positive for coronavirus.
Murphy walked away from a news conference at Camden County Community College in Blackwood, New Jersey, on Wednesday shortly after learning he was close to someone Saturday who has since tested positive
Murphy tested negative Monday. His spokesperson later confirmed to The Associated Press that he also tested negative Wednesday.
ABC News’ Aaron Katersky contributed to this report.
Czech Republic reports nearly 12,000 new cases in record high
The Czech Republic confirmed 11,984 new cases of COVID-19 on Tuesday, a new record for the Central European country.
The Czech Republic has shattered its own record already several times this month. The country's previous record of 11,105 new cases was set last Friday.
The cumulative total now stands at 193,946 cases, about one third of which were registered in the past seven days, according to data from the Czech health ministry.
More than 113,000 cases were active, including 4,064 patients who remained hospitalized for COVID-19, while over 79,000 have recovered from the disease, according to the health ministry data.
So far, 1,619 people have died from the disease in the Czech Republic. The country's highest single-day death toll of 97 was recorded on Monday, according to the health ministry data.
The Czech Republic has the highest rate of COVID-19 infection in Europe. Over the past two weeks, the country of 10.7 million people has reported 975.8 cases per 100,000 population, according to data published Wednesday by the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control.
New restrictive measures, including mandatory mask-wearing outdoors and in cars, are slated to take force across the Czech Republic on Wednesday. The government was expected to meet early Wednesday to discuss additional measures.