Virus grounds crew at US hurricane flight center

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration officials said Tuesday that five employees at the team's Lakeland, Florida, base tested positive last week, forcing others into quarantine. Spokesman Jonathan Shannon said the three planes are still flying with minimum crews.Florida's Department of Health reported 2,783 new confirmed cases on Tuesday, breaking the daily record of 2,581 new cases set on Friday.

Florida's coronavirus outbreak has spread to the team that operates the hurricane hunter airplanes in the United States. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration officials said Tuesday that five employees at the team's Lakeland, Florida, base tested positive last week, forcing others into quarantine.

Spokesman Jonathan Shannon said the three planes are still flying with minimum crews. He said the planes are being cleaned before and after each flight. Florida's Department of Health reported 2,783 new confirmed cases on Tuesday, breaking the daily record of 2,581 new cases set on Friday. The numbers on both days are almost double the previous high of 1,601 set in mid-May.