Massachusetts schools had 476 student and staff COVID cases in past week as educators get green light for vaccines
Updated Mar 04, 2021;
A total of 476 COVID-19 cases, among 343 students and 133 staff members, have been reported by Massachusetts schools to education officials in the past week.
Those cases, identified from Feb. 25 to March 3, include 335 student cases and 127 staff cases at local school districts, five student cases and five staff cases at education collaboratives, and three student cases and one staff case at approved special education schools, according to a weekly report from the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education.
The coronavirus case report from DESE comes out each Thursday and includes cases from students or staff members who tested positive within seven days of being inside a school building.
Pooled COVID testing to start at these 120 Massachusetts schools and districts this month
Updated Feb 04, 2021;
A program to offer weekly pooled COVID-19 testing for students and educators is starting in Massachusetts this month, with 120 schools and districts signed up to participate so far, according to education officials.
Those 120 schools and districts represent more than a quarter of the state’s public school students, said a spokeswoman for the state Department of Elementary and Secondary Education.
Schools and districts will start testing as close to Feb. 8 as possible, said Jackie Reis, the spokeswoman. Some districts could start this week. DESE will continue to accept applications for the program through the end of the month.
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Many North Shore School officials are requesting that educators be reclassified in the state’s vaccination plan, granting them access to COVID-19 vaccinations now, during Phase I.
Phase I includes COVID-19 facing health care providers, first responders, staff and residents at congregate care settings, among others at high-risk for contracting the vi.
As it stands now, educators are not eligible to receive vaccinations until Phase II of the plan, which begins in February.
The North Shore Superintendents’ Round Table, which represents 29 districts, made their request known in a letter to Gov. Charlie Baker.
“We cite the guidance of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in urging you to prioritize the health and well being of our educators so that Massachusetts school districts can operate at the fullest possible strength as our nation begins to emerge from this global pandemic,” the letter states.
523 students, 407 staffers positive for COVID in Massachusetts schools in last week
Updated Jan 14, 2021;
A total of 930 COVID-19 cases, split between 523 students and 407 staff members, have been reported at Massachusetts schools from Jan. 7 to 13, education officials said Thursday.
Those cases do not include students who are learning remotely. The Department of Elementary and Secondary Education each Thursday issues a COVID case report, detailing the number of students and staff members who reported a positive test for the coronavirus within seven days of being inside school buildings.
This week’s report details 505 student cases and 355 staff cases at local school districts. There were six student cases and 10 staff cases at education collaboratives. And there were 12 student cases and 42 staff cases at approved special education schools.