As residents across Massachusetts completed the sixth week of the state’s stay-at-home advisory, Gov. Charlie Baker issued a new order requiring everyone over the age of 2 to wear a mask or cloth face covering in public when unable to maintain proper social distancing.

This week, with eyes on upcoming June elections and Spring Town Meeting, Select Board members began planning for a reawakening of civic activity, shortening the hours polls will be open, encouraging mail-in ballots, and brainstorming possible venues for debate and passage of financial measures.

Sadly, two Harvard residents died last week from complications of COVID-19. These are the first two deaths in Harvard that were reported to be caused by the disease. In the state’s weekly report of COVID-19 cases by town, Harvard went from 13 to 14 in the week ending April 29.

Two weeks ago the Finance Committee recommended that Harvard’s schools cut an additional $320,000 from next year’s spending if voters reject the Proposition 2½ tax override needed to balance the town’s fiscal 2021 budget. But last week at its April 21 Zoom-facilitated meeting, the Select Board pushed back, with members agreeing that “we’re all in this together.”

When the Council on Aging board met on April 21, Director Debbie Thompson asked a question that was likely on the minds of many residents—will the economic downturn brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic deliver a fatal blow to the warrant article asking the town to fund Phase 2, the $4.3 million addition to Hildreth House?

As the COVID-19 outbreak affects many aspects of life, small businesses are among those taking a hard economic hit. During an April 24 interview, Director of Community and Economic Development Chris Ryan outlined the resources Harvard has provided and the steps he plans to take to assist these local businesses.

Despite unseasonably cold April weather and buckets of rain, the new landscape plantings around Town Hall are in the ground and starting to grow, and areas intended for grass have been hydroseeded.

At its April 21 meeting, the Select Board voted unanimously to authorize a letter of intent to Solect Energy of Hopkinton to install photovoltaic panels on the roof of the new Hildreth Elementary School.