September 1, 2021 by Carol Britton Meyer
The number of reported new COVID-19 cases in Hingham continues to rise, Assistant Town Administrator Michelle Monsegur reported to the Select Board during a remote meeting Tuesday afternoon.
"The most recent Massachusetts Department of Public Health data published on Aug. 26 indicates a total of 50 new COVID-19 cases reported in Hingham in the two weeks prior," she said. "By comparison, there were 29 new COVID-19 cases in the two-week period reported on Aug. 12."
It's unclear how many if any of these cases involve the variant and how many involve vaccinated/unvaccinated individuals.
As of last week, approximately 71 percent of Hingham residents were fully vaccinated. Considering only vaccine-eligible individuals in town (age 12+), the percent of fully-vaccinated eligible residents rises to 83 percent.
"Last week, we reported that the Centers for Disease Control has recommended a third dose of the Moderna or Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine for certain individuals who have moderate to severe immune compromise due to a medical condition or receipt of immunosuppressive medications or treatments," Monsegur said.
Those who believe they meet the criteria for moderate to severe immune compromise are encouraged to contact their primary health care provider or call the state's In-Home Vaccination Central Intake Line at (833) 983-0485 for further information, according to Monsegur.
As background, a year ago, the MDPH reported five new COVID-19 cases in town during the last 14 days, ending Aug. 19, 2020. By comparison, 135 new COVID-19 cases were reported in the last 14 days as of Dec. 17, 2020.
As of Aug. 14, the total number of COVID-19 cases in Hingham since Jan. 2020 was 2,035.
A Town of Hingham COVID Dashboard is available on the town website at https://hingham-ma.gov/DocumentCenter/View/12718/Hingham-dashboard-81921