The state reported two new COVID-19 cases in Harvard for the week ending Oct. 30, bringing the town’s cumulative number of confirmed cases to 201. For the week beginning Nov. 1, the Harvard Public Schools reported three students absent with COVID-19, one student in quarantine, and one staff member who was either in quarantine or had contracted the virus.
According to the state’s weekly vaccination report, 4,130 residents in Harvard were fully vaccinated as of Nov. 2, up 15 from Oct. 26. Another 444 had received one dose of a two-dose vaccine, 59 more than on Oct. 26. Using the town clerk’s Nov. 8 population data, the percentage of Harvard residents eligible for the vaccine (5 and older) and fully vaccinated as of Nov. 2 is 77%, lower than last week’s number because of this week’s addition of the 5 through 11 age cohort. The partially vaccinated percentage remained at 8%. These numbers do not include Devens residents or inmates at its Federal Medical Center.
Statewide, between Nov. 1 and Nov. 9, confirmed COVID-19 cases increased by 10,976, higher than the previous week’s increase of 8,260. As of Nov. 8, 515 patients were hospitalized for COVID-19 statewide, down from 522 a week earlier; 143 patients were in ICUs, 13 more than the previous week. There were 111 COVID-related deaths between Nov. 1 and Nov. 9, up from 70 the previous week.
On Nov. 9 the Bureau of Prisons website reported three active cases among inmates, one fewer than the previous week. There were seven active cases among staff, seven fewer than the previous week. As of Nov. 9, 864 of the facility’s 864 inmates had been fully vaccinated, as had 405 staff members, 20 more than the previous week. A federal mandate requires government workers, including Bureau of Prisons staff, to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 by Nov. 22 unless they have a religious or qualified medical exemption. Since the pandemic began, 341 of the current inmates and 75 staff have recovered from COVID-19; 13 inmates died of the virus.
