Editor’s note: This is the town of Hopkinton’s COVID-19 update for Jan. 14.
COVID-19 Updates and Precautions
Jan. 14 update
Previous updates and additional information and resources can be found here:
coronavirus-hopkintonma.hub.arcgis.com/
Hopkinton Town Hall reopened to the public as of Aug. 10. Appointments are required due to the state’s COVID-19 limits on building occupancy: Click here for more information. All town departments are open for business and many transactions can be completed online. We are available via phone and email to assist during regular business hours. A full Town Directory can be found here. A box at the front door of Town Hall may be used to drop off correspondence, applications, etc., and they may also be mailed or emailed.
As of Jan. 13, Hopkinton’s Health Department is reporting 523 total confirmed COVID-19 cases; 74 of those cases are active, with 432 recoveries and 17 deaths. You can see historical tracking and updates on Hopkinton’s Community Impact Dashboard, which is updated frequently.
Hopkinton has continued to experience an uptick in cases over the past few weeks. Unfortunately, this is a similar trend across Massachusetts, the Northeast, and in general across the United States. Cases are skyrocketing at an exponentially faster rate. It took Hopkinton 199 days to go from 100 cases to 200 cases. Most recently, we escalated from 400 to 500 cases in only 13 days.
Please remember to practice social distancing, wear a face covering, wash your hands often, and be safe.
Massachusetts Department of Public Health COVID-19 Weekly Public Health Report — NEW UPDATE
The weekly COVID-19 Public Health Report includes enhanced, more granular information to be updated on a weekly or biweekly basis, including town-by-town case and testing information, cases and deaths in long-term care facilities, updates on nursing facility audit results and more.
mass.gov/doc/weekly-covid-19-public-health-report-january-14-2021/download **
**Data previously found in this report, including town-by-town cases and testing reporting, can now be found in the daily interactive dashboard. See below for more information. Although, as of today’s weekly Public Health Report, the state has also added back details on a per town level within the weekly report itself.
New Massachusetts Interactive Data Dashboard — NEW UPDATE
The Massachusetts COVID-19 Daily Dashboard is now available in a more interactive format. All of the same data previously provided is still available, including: data on confirmed and probable cases, testing, hospitalizations, hospital capacity and deaths. Some information previously shown in the weekly dashboard is also included: age groups, race and ethnicity, and sex of cases, hospitalizations and deaths; and city/town specific metrics. You can learn more here: mass.gov/info-details/covid-19-response-reporting or go directly to the dashboard here.
Hopkinton Youth & Family Services — Spark Kindness — NEW UPDATE
We have had many calls from parents of middle school students whose youth are struggling with the pandemic and all the associated issues (online school, not liking their appearance on Zoom, big mood swings, isolation). Spark Kindness is having a program to help parents help their middle schoolers. You can register here: Upcoming programs.
Hopkinton Emergency Notification System, CodeRED — REMINDER
Hopkinton’s emergency notification system partner is Onsolve CodeRED. The CodeRED system provides Hopkinton officials the ability to deliver messages to targeted areas or the entire town quickly. Register your phone, text and/or email information (and download the mobile app if you want the ability to receive alerts from other communities based on your location while you are traveling) and never miss an alert. You can find more information here, or go directly to the signup page here.
Staying connected — REMINDER
Hopkinton does not currently utilize CodeRED for recurring or general town notices. CodeRED is used specifically for Emergency or high urgency notifications.
For more frequent updates on all things Hopkinton, you can sign up for our email listservs (google group) by visiting this links:
Click here to join HopNotices — for general government updates
Click here to join AllAgendasWeb — for copies of public meeting agendas
Hopkinton loves Twitter and this is one of the best ways to keep in touch with us and stay updated on the very latest happenings around town! We would love it if you would follow us, but even if you don’t have a Twitter account, all of our tweets are publicly available here: twitter.com/HopkintonMA
Martin Luther King Day — REMINDER
In observance of the holiday, Hopkinton Town Hall and municipal offices will be closed on Monday, Jan. 18. You can find more info on MLK Day programming and activities in Hopkinton by clicking here.
New Testing Infrastructure to Increase Testing Capacity and Efficiency Statewide
Visit mass.gov/gettested for more information and to find a testing site near you. To learn more about the recently expanded testing sites and capabilities in Massachusetts, click here.
COVID-19 Vaccine in Massachusetts
Massachusetts is preparing for the safe, equitable, and effective delivery of an FDA-approved COVID-19 vaccine. Click here to learn about the approach and when you can expect to get vaccinated.
Vaccine plan: mass.gov/info-details/massachusetts-covid-19-vaccine-information
Vaccine FAQs: mass.gov/info-details/covid-19-vaccine-frequently-asked-questions
Thank you to the Town of Westborough Fire Department and Board of Health for taking the lead in regionally facilitating COVID vaccinations to our first responders.
Library Services Are Curbside/Remote
Due to the spike in COVID-19 cases in Hopkinton and regionally, the library buildingis currently closed to the public. Library services are available on a remote/curbside-only basis. The library building will remain closed to the public until at least Friday, Jan. 22.
The library’s curbside/remote service hours are:
10 a.m.-4:30 p.m., Mondays/Wednesdays/Fridays
10 a.m.-7 p.m., Tuesdays/Thursdays
Library staff will be available to assist you by phone, e-mail and online chat during these hours.
Please schedule curbside pickup times in advance by calling the library at 508-497-9777 or using the “Schedule Curbside Pickup” link under the “eServices” menu on the right-hand side of the library website, hopkintonlibrary.org.
If you want to check out library materials but do not have specific titles in mind, we encourage you to use our “Quick Picks” service. Links to the “quick picks” forms are under the “eServices” menu on the right-hand side of the library website, hopkintonlibrary.org.
2021 Boston Marathon
Per the Boston Athletic Association (BAA), the 2021 Boston Marathon will not be held in April and will be postponed until at least the fall of 2021. Due to the surge in COVID-19 cases in Massachusetts, the BAA will not be able to confirm a fall Boston Marathon date until early 2021. The BAA will continue to meet with its COVID-19 Medical & Event Operations Advisory Group and work with city and state officials, sponsors, organizing committee members, and other stakeholders in preparation for a safe return to in-person racing in the fall. More information can be found on the BAA’s website here.
Statewide Rollback to Phase 3, Step 1, Additional Restrictions Effective Dec. 13
Effective Dec. 13, all communities will roll back to Phase 3, Step 1 of Massachusetts’ re-opening plan, including the following restrictions:
● Outdoor gatherings at event venues will be limited to no more than 50 people.
● Hosts of outdoor gatherings of greater than 25 people will be required to provide advance notice of the gathering their local board of health.
● Indoor theaters and performance venues and higher contact indoor recreation businesses will be required to close to the public.
● Outdoor theaters and performance venues will be limited to 25% capacity, and no more than 50 people.
You can read the full Press Release from Mass.gov by clicking here.
Click here to read the full order rolling Massachusetts back to Phase 3, Step 1.
Hopkinton also posts frequently on social media. Our Twitter is the best place to keep up with all happenings Hopkinton. You don’t need an account to see our twitter feed: https://twitter.com/HopkintonMA
Complete list of Emergency Orders and Guidance from Mass.gov
https://www.mass.gov/info-details/covid-19-state-of-emergency
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