Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

The Lunenburg County Public School system has joined the surrounding counties in setting aside in-person reopening plans in favor of online-only instruction for the first nine weeks of school.

A statement from the school system said the decision was made in agreement with the school board, after a discussion with the health department. Factors leading to the decision included a recent rise in cases among school-age children in the county.

According to a story in the Washington Post, a report from leading pediatric health groups found that more than 97,000 children across the country tested positive for the coronavirus the last two weeks in July.

“As always, LCPS puts the safety of its students and families first,” the statement from the school system said.

School officials said they would continue to monitor data and would move to a different scenario after the first nine weeks of school if the case trends show improvement.

The first day of school for Lunenburg County students is scheduled for Monday, Aug. 24.