9,909 new coronavirus cases reported in Massachusetts schools following Thanksgiving break

Coronavirus cases continue to increase in Massachusetts schools as a total of 9,909 staff and students tested positive in the past two weeks.

The weekly report published on Thursdays by the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education lists 8,513 students and 1,396 staff that tested positive for the coronavirus from Nov. 18 to Wednesday.

The count of 9,909 cases represents a dramatic increase from the last report, which tallied a total of 3,815 cases, however the most current report accounts for two weeks of data. The report was not published last week due to the Thanksgiving holiday.

Coronavirus pool testing is being used in more than 2,200 public and private schools, about double last year’s count, according to DESE. The test positivity rate in school this past week was 1.99%, up from 1.38% in the last report.

Districts with the most cases in the past two weeks include 270 cases in Lowell, 268 cases in Boston, 234 cases in Plymouth, 228 cases in Worcester, 223 in Springfield and 132 cases in Brockton.

Boston Public Schools reported 209 student cases and 59 staff cases in the past week.

A total of 32,016 coronavirus cases have been reported in the weekly infection reports that started Sept. 16.

Massachusetts students and staff will have to continue to mask up in school until at least Jan. 15, unless 80% of people in the school are vaccinated, per a DESE mandate.

With no remote learning options allowed this year, all kids are back to school in person full time. Across all grade levels, an estimated 920,000 students and 140,000 staff are now participating in some form of in-person learning.

The report includes the number of positive COVID-19 cases as reported to DESE by school districts including charter schools and collaboratives.

Massachusetts began vaccinating children age 5-11 against coronavirus on Nov. 4. The Pfizer vaccine is currently the only one authorized for use in this age group.

from Boston Herald https://ift.tt/3GdQlyt