On Oct. 5, Massachusetts lower-risk communities such as Harvard were permitted to move into Phase 3, Step 2 of the state’s reopening plan. However, few changes will be seen in town as a result.
The new guidelines allow indoor and outdoor performance venues, recreation businesses, gyms, museums, libraries, and driving and flight schools to open at 50% capacity, and for fitting rooms to open in retail stores.
The Harvard Public Library is still awaiting the arrival of plexiglass barriers needed to safely reopen in-person services, and Library Director Mary Wilson said that when it does reopen, it will be by appointment only.
Fivesparks and Warner Free Lecture are still operating virtually, and the Harvard Council on Aging will continue its current outdoor and virtual programs. Bodylines Pilates began offering in-person classes in August at about 30% capacity, or four to five people per class, with a minimum of 14 feet between workout stations, and it will continue in this format for the time being.
Fire Chief Rick Sicard, Harvard’s emergency management director, wrote in an email to the Press that residents should “remain vigilant and continue to wear their masks.”
