IRON MOUNTAIN — Local health officials announced Monday that the delta variant of COVID-19 has been found in Dickinson County.

This variant “is concerning” because “compared to the standard SARS-CoV-2 virus, the B.1.617.2 variant is approximately 50% more transmissible, leading to faster spread of the virus and potentially increasing numbers of cases, hospitalizations and deaths,” the Dickinson-Iron District Health Department warned in a news release.

Dickinson County has seen a recent upswing in coronavirus activity, recording 24 new confirmed positives from mid-July through Friday after adding only a total of three over the first two weeks of July.

In light of the delta variant, the DIDHD recommended the community get vaccinated and adhere to social distancing, mask use, hand hygiene, avoiding large social gatherings and practice other mitigation strategies.

The DIDHD can provide the vaccine to anyone age 12 or older; ages 12 to 18 need to have a parent schedule an appointment. To make an appointment, call 906-774-1868 for the Kingsford office or 906-265-9913 for the Iron River office.

At the state level, the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services coronavirus website on Monday listed 71 new confirmed positives in the Upper Peninsula, with only three of the 15 counties not adding cases over the three-day period: 27 in Delta County; 13 in Houghton County; eight in Menominee County; five in Dickinson and Gogebic counties; three in Iron and Marquette counties; two in Chippewa and Baraga counties; and one each in Schoolcraft, Alger and Mackinac counties. The state also lowered Luce County’s count by two.

Using only the MDHHS figures, the Upper Peninsula as of Monday has had 20,468 confirmed COVID-19 cases and 446 deaths.

Across the U.P., the MDHHS data Monday had Keweenaw County at 142 confirmed cases and 32 probable, and one confirmed death and one probable death; Luce County, 229 confirmed cases and 255 probable, four confirmed deaths and one probable death; Alger County, 324 confirmed, 196 probable and three deaths, four probable; Schoolcraft County, 357 confirmed cases and 86 probable, four deaths and one probable; Ontonagon County, 425 confirmed, 62 probable and 21 deaths, one probable; Mackinac County, 466 confirmed cases and 256 probable, three deaths; Baraga County, 703 confirmed cases, 130 probable and 39 deaths; Iron County, 1,009 confirmed cases and 73 probable, 43 deaths and 10 probable; Gogebic County, 1,106 confirmed cases and 369 probable, 24 deaths and 29 probable; Chippewa County, 1,137 confirmed cases and 1,442 probable, and 29 deaths, six probable; Menominee County, 1,831 confirmed cases, 354 probable and 41 deaths, two probable; Dickinson County, 2,445 confirmed cases and 354 probable, 59 deaths and 15 probable; Houghton County, 2,572 confirmed cases, 609 probable, 35 deaths and eight probable; Delta County, 3,436 confirmed cases and 726 probable, 76 deaths and 19 probable; and Marquette County, 4,286 confirmed cases, 839 probable and 64 deaths, one probable. State figures are updated regularly but can lag behind local reports or have other discrepancies.

The MDHHS on Monday had 2,720 confirmed new coronavirus positives in Michigan since Friday, or an average of 906 per day for the three days, for a total to date of 913,220. The state Monday added eight deaths attributed to the virus — including six that occurred earlier but were recently verified through a vital records review — to reach 19,958.

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 will be 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 Monday had 11 new confirmed positives in Marinette County, and one each in Forest and Vilas counties.

The DHS COVID-19 data site Monday had Marinette County with 4,286 confirmed cases, 488 probable cases and 68 deaths, seven probable deaths; Vilas County, 2,332 confirmed, 149 probable and 42 deaths, three probable; Forest County, 986 confirmed, 83 probable and 24 deaths, three probable; Iron County, 605 confirmed, 120 probable and 21 deaths, 21 probable; and Florence County, 458 confirmed, 55 probable and 13 deaths.

Wisconsin on Monday added 2,288 new positives since Friday for a total of 630,296 confirmed COVID-19 cases in the state to date. The state had six new deaths to reach 7,454.