Bay College will require face masks be worn while indoors on campus, starting Monday, college officials announced Friday.

Masks will be needed regardless of whether the person has been vaccinated, “as the campus community has a mixed population regarding vaccination status,” according to a news release Friday from the college president’s office.

The move follows Centers for Disease Control recommendations for dealing with the spread of the delta variant of COVID-19, which has been confirmed both in Delta and Dickinson counties, where Bay College has its campuses.

Individuals with a documented disability may be exempt from the rule but must apply for an accommodation under Bay College Policy 1061, according to the news release. Employees will not be required to wear a face covering while in their office.

The college also encourages students, staff, faculty and visitors to get vaccinated against COVID-19. Bay College and the local health departments will offer free walk-in vaccination clinics on campuses for the single-dose J&J vaccine during the first week of classes, which start Aug. 30.

“We need our faculty, and students who want to be back in the classroom, back in the classroom,” President Laura Coleman said. “Technology is great and online learning effective, but for some, there is not a replacement for the hands-on, in-person college experiences gained in the classrooms, on campus, within labs, and beyond. We are looking forward to the campuses safely buzzing with students this fall.”

Delta County on Friday again led the Upper Peninsula in the number of new confirmed COVID-19 cases added since Wednesday, according to figures on the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services coronavirus website.

The MDHHS update Friday listed 68 new confirmed positives in the Upper Peninsula: 29 in Delta County; 10 in Houghton County; seven in Gogebic County; six in Menominee and Marquette counties; four in Dickinson County; two in Ontonagon County; and one each in Schoolcraft, Chippewa, Mackinac and Baraga counties. The state also had a new death in Baraga County.

Using only the MDHHS figures, the Upper Peninsula as of Friday has had 20,595 confirmed COVID-19 cases and 447 deaths.

Across the U.P., the MDHHS data Friday had Keweenaw County at 142 confirmed cases and 32 probable, and one confirmed death and one probable death; Luce County, 230 confirmed cases and 260 probable, four confirmed deaths and one probable death; Alger County, 324 confirmed, 200 probable and three deaths, four probable; Schoolcraft County, 364 confirmed cases and 91 probable, four deaths and one probable; Ontonagon County, 429 confirmed, 62 probable and 21 deaths, one probable; Mackinac County, 469 confirmed cases and 260 probable, three deaths; Baraga County, 705 confirmed cases, 131 probable and 40 deaths; Iron County, 1,010 confirmed cases and 73 probable, 43 deaths and 10 probable; Gogebic County, 1,119 confirmed cases and 371 probable, 24 deaths and 29 probable; Chippewa County, 1,142 confirmed cases and 1,451 probable, and 29 deaths, five probable; Menominee County, 1,847 confirmed cases, 375 probable and 41 deaths, two probable; Dickinson County, 2,450 confirmed cases and 368 probable, 59 deaths and 15 probable; Houghton County, 2,586 confirmed cases, 613 probable, 35 deaths and eight probable; Delta County, 3,485 confirmed cases and 741 probable, 76 deaths and 19 probable; and Marquette County, 4,293 confirmed cases, 841 probable and 64 deaths, one probable. State figures are updated regularly but can lag behind local reports or have other discrepancies.

The MDHHS on Friday had 3,127 confirmed new coronavirus positives in Michigan since Wednesday, or an average of 1,564 per day for the two days, for a total to date of 919,133. The state Friday added 29 deaths attributed to the virus — including 14 that occurred earlier but were recently verified through a vital records review — to reach 20,011.

The state in July began posting new COVID data only twice a week, on Tuesdays and Fridays, when the level of virus activity slowed. With cases climbing again, updates are being provided on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays starting this week.

For the five Wisconsin counties in the region, the state Department of Health Services’ COVID-19 data site Friday had 11 new confirmed positives in Marinette County, seven in Vilas County, two in Iron County and one each in Florence and Forest counties.

The DHS COVID-19 data site Friday had Marinette County with 4,326 confirmed cases, 505 probable cases and 68 deaths, seven probable deaths; Vilas County, 2,341 confirmed, 150 probable and 42 deaths, three probable; Forest County, 997 confirmed, 84 probable and 24 deaths, three probable; Iron County, 608 confirmed, 120 probable and 21 deaths, 21 probable; and Florence County, 461 confirmed, 57 probable and 13 deaths.

Wisconsin has added 1,814 new positives Friday for a total of 636,344 confirmed COVID-19 cases in the state to date. The state had five new deaths to reach 7,471.