LYND — Middle schoolers at Lynd Public School will be moving to distance learning after a person at the school tested positive for COVID-19.

Around 30 students in sixth through eighth grade will learn from home for the next two weeks, said Lynd Superintendent Robert Tews.

“It’s more precautionary than anything,” Tews said. Students in pre-kindergarten through fifth grade will still attend school in person under hybrid learning guidelines, he said.

The school posted an announcement about the move to distance learning on social media Thursday afternoon. Students in grades 6-8 will not have class today, to allow teachers a planning day. Distance learning will start Nov. 2, and last through Nov. 13.

Tews said the decision to send older students to distance learning was a precaution as the school did contact tracing. Students in grades 6-8 change classrooms during the school day, so it was harder to determine who would be a close contact of the person who tested positive, he said.

Tews said younger Lynd students stay in pods when they are in school, and were not in close contact with the person who tested positive.

School staff are in communication with the Minnesota Department of Health and Southwest Health and Human Services as they plan for COVID-19, Tews said.

“We take our advice from the experts,” he said.

In the announcement to families, Lynd administrators said lunches will still be available to be picked up for students in grades 6-8. Families were encouraged to call the school by 8:30 a.m. to request a lunch.

Carol Biren, public health director at Southwest Health and Human Services, said area schools have been doing a good job working to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

“We’re not really seeing a lot of spread in the schools, which is good,” she said. However, the number of cases in southwest Minnesota has been on the rise.

New COVID-19 cases are still being reported in Lyon County.

The MDH reported a total of 22 new cases in Lyon County on Thursday. The death of a person in their 90s from COVID-19 was also reported in Redwood County on Thursday. Redwood County has had 12 total deaths so far.

In Lyon County, there have been 1,030 total COVID-19 cases reported, and six deaths.