MARSHALL — The number of newly reported COVID-19 cases in Lyon County took a sharp jump up on Thursday.

The Minnesota Department of Health reported 38 new cases among Lyon County residents and one new probable case.

Thursday’s report brings Lyon County to a cumulative total of 885 positive COVID-19 cases and two probable cases. A total of five Lyon County residents have died of COVID-19, the MDH said.

The spike in new reported cases comes at the same time the MDH was reporting an increase in case rates in Lyon County over the past few weeks. The number of COVID-19 cases per 10,000 people is used in guidelines to help determine whether schools should go to distance learning. For the most recent test period, which covers Sept. 20 through Oct. 3, Lyon County had a rate of about 52 positive cases per 10,000 people.

The MDH recommends schools go to distance learning if the case rate is 50 or higher. However, it doesn’t necessarily mean schools must stop in-person classes.

Lyon County’s case rates have been higher than 50 per 10,000 people once before this year, without school districts moving to distance learning only. The county went through a brief spike in August after a large number of people tested positive for COVID-19 after attending a wedding reception in Ghent. However, case rates in Lyon County started rising again in September.

Statewide, the MDH reported 1,108 new positive cases of COVID-19 on Thursday, as well as 61 probable cases. There were 19 deaths reported.

A cumulative total of 116,865 COVID-19 cases and 241 probable cases have been reported in Minnesota. There have been a total of 2,199 deaths.

As of Wednesday, there were 330 hospital beds being used by COVID-19 patients in Minnesota, plus 114 intensive care beds, according to the state’s COVID-19 dashboard.