#NYC public schools see significant spike in COVID-19 cases

The number of coronavirus cases among New York City public school staff and students has gone up 67 percent in the last week.

Since school buildings opened Sept. 8, a total of 305 people — 207 teachers and staff and 98 students — have tested positive for the potentially deadly virus, according to Department of Education tallies as of Friday.

There were 183 positive cases a week earlier, with 62 more teachers and staff and another 60 students testing positive since then.

Mayor de Blasio has insisted schools are not a major problem.

“What we’re seeing in the school system in general is a very low level of coronavirus activity,” he said at a news briefing Tuesday.

But 124 schools in New York City’s COVID-19 hot zones, including parts of Brooklyn and Queens, were forced to close this week as de Blasio and Gov. Cuomo sought to clamp down on rising infections.

Statewide, there were 1,447 positive test results Friday, Cuomo announced Saturday.

Hospitalizations continued to rise, hitting 826 Friday — the highest since July 15. Of those hospitalized, 142 were newly admitted. About half of those hospitalized, 405 patients, were in New York City.

Eight people died Friday, including two in the Bronx and one in Brooklyn.

The number of positive results in the state’s so-called red zones Friday was 4.95 percent, Cuomo said. The overall statewide positivity rate was 1.07 percent.

The positivity rate in the red zones in the past week fell slightly to 6.17 percent, down from 6.91 percent a week earlier.

In addition to schools, non-essential businesses in the hot spots had to shutter, mass gatherings were prohibited and attendance at houses of worship was limited to a maximum of 25 percent capacity or 10 people.

Both Jewish and Catholic leaders sued to block Cuomo’s plan and lost.

Bishop Nicholas DiMarzio, the head of the Brooklyn Diocese, said Saturday the church was “left with no choice” but to follow the restrictions.

With Post wires