Michigan Adds Over 500 New Coronavirus Cases As Total Nears 88K

MICHIGAN — Michigan has closed in on 88,000 cases of the coronavirus after reporting more than 500 new cases of the respiratory illness Monday.

The state added 557 new coronavirus cases Monday to bring its case total to 87,960. Michigan health officials also reported that eight more people have died from the coronavirus, bringing Michigan's coronavirus death toll to 6,257.

The state added 514 cases of the coronavirus as well as two new deaths on Sunday. Michigan has reported fewer than 600 new cases for three straight days after reporting more than 600 new cases six straight days last week.

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Monday's coronavirus numbers update comes as the Big Ten, one of the Power 5 football conferences in the NCAA, reportedly voted to cancel its fall season due to the pandemic.

The move was met with some resistance, as University of Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh said the model his university used to combat the spread of the virus seemingly worked and that they could play.

"It is proven that the conduct, discipline and structure within our program have led to these stellar results," Harbaugh said. "We respect the challenge the virus has presented however we will not cower from it."

The presidents of both U-M and Michigan State University were among the 12 of 14 presidents who voted in favor of canceling the season. Presidents from the University of Iowa and the University of Nebraska voted in favor of playing.

Read More: Mid-American Conference Cancels Fall 2020 Football Season

Michigan ranks 18th in the U.S. in total coronavirus cases, according to data gathered and provided by the World Health Organization. The state ranks ninth in the nation in deaths attributed to the virus. It has ranked as high as third in that category previously.

In the U.S., which leads the world in total coronavirus cases with more than 5.2 million cases, according to the World Health Organization, over 165,000 people have died from the coronavirus. More than 2.6 million have recovered from the respiratory illness.

Over 20.1 million cases of the coronavirus have been reported worldwide, according to the World Health Organization. That number includes 736,000 deaths and nearly 13 million recoveries. More than 6.4 million cases of the virus remain active around the world.