According to a report released Thursday, new cases of COVID-19 among students and staff at public schools in Massachusetts increased over a two-week period that included Thanksgiving.

From Nov. 18 to Dec. 1, a total of 8,513 students and 1,396 staff members tested positive for the virus, according to the State Department of Elementary and Secondary Education.

Every Thursday, DESE publishes a report on new cases. From November 11 to 17, public schools reported that 3,257 students and 558 staff had tested positive. From November 4 to 10, 2,640 students and 381 staff tested positive.

Across Massachusetts, the number of cases is increasing after weeks of decline.

With around 920,000 students enrolled and around 140,000 staff working in public school buildings, the COVID-19 case rate currently stands at 0.93% among students and 1% among staff, according to the report. the DESE report.

So far this school year, the positivity rate for pooled tests stands at 1.13%, according to the report.

In the past two weeks, Lowell has reported the highest number of COVID cases among college students, at 240, according to the report. The district also had 30 staff cases. From November 15 to 28, 757 routine pooled tests were processed, with 42 positive results.

Boston had 209 student cases and 59 staff cases. From November 15 to 28, there were 3,692 routine pooled tests with 59 positives.

Worcester had 193 student cases and 35 staff cases. The district did not have pooled test data listed in the DESE report.

In Springfield, 178 students have tested positive, as have 45 staff. From November 15 to 28, there were 1,385 routine pooled tests, 47 of which were positive.

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Districts can participate in rapid tests, group tests, tests and stay, or a combination of the three.

From November 15 to 28, 1,947 schools participated in the COVID tests. During that period, 67,154 tests and stay tests were administered, of which 66,465 were negative, according to the report.

There were 35,357 pools processed during this period, with 6.76 average swabs per pool and 703 positive results, for a positivity rate of 1.99%, according to the report.

Masks are mandatory in Massachusetts schools until at least January 15, but there is an exit ramp for schools that can prove a COVID vaccination rate of at least 80% and gain approval.

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