Coronavirus cases have spiked in Massachusetts schools, with 652 more cases reported this week among students and staff members.
The Department of Elementary and Secondary released the numbers Thursday in its weekly COVID-19 report. A total of 398 students learning in-person or in a hybrid plan tested positive from Nov. 12 to 18, as did 254 school district staffers.
The number marks the most coronavirus cases reported in a week so far since students returned to class for the fall, and 345 more total cases than last week. It's the second week in a row that Massachusetts schools have seen a rise in the number of reported cases.
School districts this fall have had the option between in-person learning, remote learning or a hybrid of the two. State officials have been encouraging communities at low risk of community transmission of COVID-19 to use in-person learning.
While the number of positive cases in schools has fluctuated, the estimated number of students and staff in public school buildings has remained steady.
See the full report at the department’s website.
