The Department of Public Health reported more new COVID-19 cases Thursday than it has in months – 986 new cases of the highly-contagious virus that has been spreading largely uncontrolled for months.

DPH also reported the recent COVID-19 deaths of 30 people. Since the virus was first confirmed in Massachusetts on Feb. 1, 143,927 people have been infected and 9,810 people have died.

All four of the main metrics that the Baker administration says it watches to make public health decisions are trending in the wrong direction. The seven-day average of the positive test rate ticked up to 1.4 percent, up more than 75 percent in the last month. The three-day average number of people with COVID-19 in Massachusetts hospitals stands at 519, up more than 40 percent in the last month.Four hospitals are using surge capacity, up from zero as recently as earlier this week. And the three-day average of the number of COVID-19 deaths is up 60 percent from earlier this month.

Despite that, DPH reported Thursday that it sees a “positive trend” on the positive test rate, the number of patients with COVID-19 in hospitals, the state’s testing capacity and its contact tracing capabilities. The number of people who have died of COVID-19 and the health care system’s readiness are assessed as “in progress” in DPH’s latest update.

Among the new COVID-19 cases were 202 new ones in Massachusetts public schools, state education officials reported this week, including 129 among students engaged in-person and hybrid learning models. The other 73 cases reported to the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education from Oct. 15-21 were among school district staff with building access.

The total case number in the department’s Thursday evening report is up from last week’s 92 student and 68 staff cases.

Elementary and Secondary Education Commissioner Jeff Riley on Tuesday said concern “that schools were going to be seen as super-spreading places has been somewhat unfounded,” and Gov. Charlie Baker on Thursday struck a similar note.

“The real-life experience and the research with respect to schools is overwhelming at this point, that schools are not the spreaders, the kids in schools are not spreaders of COVID,” Baker said. “There’s no better example of that right now than the parochial schools in Massachusetts. They have 28,000 kids, 4,000 employees who have been back in-person learning since the middle of August, and they have a handful of cases.”

The education department this week began including in its case report the total number of people who are accessing public school buildings, saying the 129 COVID-positive students came from approximately 450,000 who are attending in-person school at least some of the time, and the 73 staff cases were among a workforce pool of roughly 75,000.

At six each, Methuen and Lincoln-Sudbury logged the most new student cases, followed by five in Northboro-Southboro and four each in Chelmsford, Gloucester, Hudson, Marshfield, Peabody and Waltham. Fitchburg, Lawrence, Lynn, Malden and West Springfield topped the list for staff cases reported over the week, at three per district, followed by two in Boston, Fall River, New Bedford, Acton-Boxborough, Groton-Dunstable, Revere and Greater New Bedford Regional Vocational Technical.

Some of the recent surge in COVID-19 cases has been connected to indoor hockey games and practices, health officials said when overnight they ordered skating rinks to close statewide.

The closures are effective on Friday at 5 p.m., and are currently scheduled to last until 12:01 a.m. on Nov. 7. The Department of Public Health, which issued the order, which includes an exemption for college and professional programs.

State public health officials said there have been at least 30 clusters “at rinks throughout the state following games, practices and tournaments.” The clusters involve residents from more than 50 communities, with two or more confirmed cases in each and 108 total confirmed cases, according to the DPH.

“This pause will allow for the development of stronger COVID-19 protocols to further protect players, families, coaches, arena staff and other participants, as well as communities surrounding hockey rinks,” the DPH said in a statement.