EDUCATION

More than 7,000 educators and school staff in Massachusetts have gotten COVID-19 since early January.

Massachusetts schools this week will be able to sign up to receive at-home rapid COVID-19 tests for weekly use by students and staff. The state noted a shift away from contact tracing in states like Vermont and Connecticut to a focus on at-home tests and symptomatic testing.

More new COVID-19 cases among K-12 students in Massachusetts were reported over the last week than in the prior two weeks combined, Department of Elementary and Secondary Education data show.

As WBUR’s Gabrielle Emanuel reports, much of the burden has fallen on school nurses, who say they are having to come up with policies on the fly.

Over the most recent two-week reporting period, Massachusetts school districts say the number of students with new cases of COVID-19 increased almost two and a half times.

Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker announced Tuesday morning that his administration had purchased 26 million new rapid antigen tests for COVID-19 that would be prioritized for K-12 schools and child care centers over the coming months.

There's been a startling increase in COVID-19 cases in Massachusetts schools in recent weeks among both staff and students. Gov. Charlie Baker continues to defend his position not to go back to remote learning.

There's been a startling increase in COVID-19 cases in Massachusetts schools in recent weeks among both staff and students. Gov. Charlie Baker continues to defend his position not to go back to remote learning.

Masks will remain required indoors in Massachusetts public schools through at least the end of February, the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education announced Monday.

The Connecticut Department of Public Health said schools can discontinue contact tracing based on individual exposures.