Michigan Adds 1,358 New Coronavirus Cases, 74 Deaths Thursday

MICHIGAN — Michigan added more than 1,300 new cases of the coronavirus and over 70 more COVID-19 deaths Thursday, according to the most recent state coronavirus data.

The state reported 1,358 new COVID-19 cases and 74 more COVID-19 deaths — 63 of which were identified through a vital records review, according to the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services.

Thursday's updated figures bring the total number of confirmed coronavirus cases in the state to 565,251. The coronavirus death toll in Michigan has now reached 14,778

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Michigan added 1,383 new cases of the coronavirus and 32 COVID-19 deaths Wednesday. Michigan announced on Saturday that the number of people in the state who have recovered from the coronavirus had reached 481,000.

Thursday coronavirus update came shortly after state officials held a news conference to announce that high school contact sports — originally slated to begin on Feb. 1 but pushed to Feb. 21 — could begin on Monday with some restrictions.

Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer said that the order allows contact sports such as high school basketball as long as the participating athletes wear masks. If masks cannot be worn during practice or competition, athletes must be regularly tested for the coronavirus.

"I know these past months have been tough on all of us," Whitmer said during a news conference. "I know they've been really hard on student-athletes who've been missing a sense of connection and belonging as well as many other attributes that playing sports provides."