Coronavirus: Nearly 2,000 New Cases Reported In Michigan

MICHIGAN — Nearly 2,000 additional cases of the new coronavirus were reported in Michigan Friday, bringing the state's overall number to over 12,500. It was the largest uptick the state has reported to date.

The Michigan Department of Health and Human Resources said that there were 1,953 new cases as of 10 a.m. Friday, bringing the total number of cases in Michigan to 12,744. The agency also reported an additional 62 deaths as of Friday morning, bringing the statewide total to 479.

In southeast Michigan, Detroit's case total has risen to 3,550, with 117 deaths reported. Macomb County has seen 1,560 confirmed cases and 65 deaths. Oakland County has confirmed 2,540 cases of the virus; it has reported 136 deaths, the highest death tally for any county in the state. Wayne County has confirmed 2,546 cases of the coronavirus, attributing 106 deaths to the virus.

For perspective, Michigan now has more confirmed cases of the coronavirus that the majority of countries that have been hit by the virus.

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With its updated numbers Friday, Michigan continues to rank among the hardest hit areas in the U.S., behind New York (102,863), New Jersey (29,895) and California (11,207). Almost 40,000 tests have been administered in the state. Of those, more than 28,000 have tested negative for the virus.

Michigan on Friday took additional steps to prevent the spread of coronavirus, with the Michigan High School Athletics Association announcing it was canceling the rest of the 2019-20 high school sports season.

Governor Gretchen Whitmer and Attorney General Dana Nessel each took measures to ensure residents were not targeted during the scare. Whitmer signed an executive order Friday preventing employers from terminating or retaliating against employees who have chosen to stay home after testing positive for or having close contacts who have tested positive for the coronavirus. Nessel, meanwhile, took action against a pair of out-of-state businesses, targeting Michigan residents with coronavirus-related scams.

The U.S. has the most cases of the coronavirus across the globe, quickly surpassing areas that were hit early on during the pandemic, such as China and Italy. According to the most recent information, the U.S. has reported more than 266,000 cases. Italy (more than 119,000) and Spain (more than 117,000) are close behind. China has reported more than 80,000 cases, but there has been growing concern that the county has not provided accurate totals, as reported by The New York Times.

More than one million cases of the coronavirus have been reported overall as of Friday. There have been more than 58,000 deaths, while more than 220,000 people are known to have recovered from the virus.