The University of Maine system will require on-campus students to be vaccinated against coronavirus when they return in the fall.

In the announcement made Wednesday, spokesperson Dan Demeritt said students participating in an on-campus experience this fall must begin the process of getting fully vaccinated by August 20th.

Demeritt says the school system signaled back in the spring that it would require vaccinations once the shots receive full approval from the FDA, but that with the spread of the Delta variant in Maine and nationwide, school officials decided to accelerate that process.

Students can request exemptions if a medical condition or religious belief prevents them from seeking out the vaccine.

The school system is in talks with labor leaders to establish the same requirement for staff and faculty.

According to an online portal, more than 10,300 university community members have voluntarily verified their vaccination status.