Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties

Indoor mask use required at GCC this fall

IRONWOOD — Gogebic Community College officials announced Friday that the college will require face masks to be worn indoors.

The decision follows the recommendation of both the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services. Both organizations recently announced that masks should be worn indoors regardless of vaccination status.

“The expectation at GCC at this time is to wear masks indoors,” said GCC president George McNulty. “With the uptick in COVID-19 variants both locally and nationally, we felt that it was important to help do our part with the intent of keeping our students, faculty and staff safe while remaining fully functional.”

The GCC fall semester begins Aug. 23. The college will be offering both in-person and online classes at both its Ironwood and Houghton campuses this semester. All classrooms are socially distanced and the college has maintained other safety protocols such as enhanced cleaning and sanitizing throughout the day. Disposable masks are available for those who need one.

“GCC continues to be an influencer by creating awareness, providing resources and promoting the COVID-19 vaccination in various ways,” a college press release said.