Editor’s note: This is the town of Hopkinton’s COVID-19 update for June 15.
COVID-19 Updates and Precautions
June 15 update
Previous updates and additional information and resources can be found here:
coronavirus-hopkintonma.hub.arcgis.com/
As of June 14, Hopkinton’s Health Department is reporting 1,065 total confirmed COVID-19 cases; 0 of those cases are active, with 1,048 recoveries and 17 deaths. You can see historical tracking and updates on Hopkinton’s Community Impact Dashboard.
State of Emergency is Lifted as of June 15 — REMINDER
On May 28, Gov. Baker announced the State of Emergency would be lifted as of June 15. More info here: mass.gov/news/governor-baker-issues-order-rescinding-covid-19-restrictions-on-may-29-and-terminating-state-of-emergency-effective-june-15
Resources from Hopkinton Youth and Family Resources — NEW UPDATE
Dr. Camille Wortman, professor emeritus of psychology at Stony Brook University in New York, created an internet resource guide: COVID-19 and Grief. Here is a link to her website for the document: covidgriefresources.com/?fbclid=IwAR3YUJEsCzrhpKpzSyojcuiRfWFQd18K5VFU9TU3pW1Q6d06zpT qYEqbMgY
You can find additional resources from Hopkinton Youth and Family Resources here:
hopkintonma.gov/residents/youth_and_family_services.php
Hopkinton Public Library Reopening Info
Occupancy limits for the library have been lifted, with the exception of a 30-person limit in the Children’s Room. The half-hour time limit for browsing has also been lifted.
Expanded walk-in hours began June 7! The new schedule is:
10 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday/Wednesday/Friday,
10 a.m.-7:30 p.m. Tuesday/Thursday.
A further increase in hours is being planned for the coming weeks.
Over the past year, library operations have been completely restructured to meet the needs of an entirely different set of circumstances. We are moving forward with purpose, but another restructuring will take a little time to implement. As of June 9, study rooms are open! We are initially limited to only two people per room, with a one-hour limit so that we can air out the rooms between uses. Contact the reference desk to make an appointment by visiting the lower level of the library, calling 508-497-9777, ext. 2, or using the “chat-a-librarian” service on our website. We will be implementing additional changes as quickly as feasible and appreciate your continued patience for a short time. Please watch our website and social media for updates.
Masks Still Required in the Library:
Our goal is to be a welcoming place for our community where all can visit. Because many of our visitors are under the age of 12 and cannot yet be vaccinated, we must continue to take extra safety precautions. Out of respect for the many children who use the library, especially during the summer, the library will continue to require face coverings for all visitors and staff at least through summer 2021. The Library Trustees and director, in consultation with the Hopkinton Health Department, have made this decision to ensure that we are continuing to protect all of our patrons and staff. We will re-evaluate this requirement in August. Thank you in advance for your help in keeping our whole community safe.
Hopkinton Senior Center Reopening Info
As of June 1, the Hopkinton Senior Center is open Monday-Thursday 9:30 a.m.-4 p.m. and Friday 8:30 a.m.-2 p.m. Masks are required for all individuals who are unvaccinated. All programs, classes and the thrift store are gradually phasing back in to pre-COVID operation. Please call 508-497-9730 if you have any questions about a specific program.
Hopkinton Seniors are eligible for take out meals for pickup or delivery Tuesday through Friday. We have a limited number of meals available, but please call 508-497-9730 if you are interested. We anticipate that we will be able to resume our regular in-person meals over the next few months.
Hopkinton Reopening Plan — Town Buildings
The Town of Hopkinton reopened town buildings to the public on June 1 without the need for appointments and will continue to follow the commonwealth’s Reopening Massachusetts guidance and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) guidelines in lifting COVID-19 restrictions. This means that face coverings are not required for fully vaccinated individuals.
All town buildings, including the Hopkinton Public Library, Senior Center, the Thomas McIntyre Town Barn (DPW) and 6 Walcott St. are now open to the public during regular business hours. With respect to the resumption of specific programs, please contact the relevant department.
Shaun McAuliffe, health services director, has reported that Hopkinton now has very low rates of infection, and has a very high vaccination rate. Further, Governor Baker announced that effective May 29, 2021, all industry Covid-19 restrictions will be lifted and the current face covering order will be rescinded and replaced by the CDC’s updated guidance cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/fully-vaccinated.html. He added that he will lift the current state of emergency on June 15.
The Hopkinton Board of Health will also lift its face covering order. Those who have not been fully vaccinated are strongly encouraged to continue to wear face coverings, and must do so in town buildings.
Per the state guidelines, regardless of vaccination status, members of the public will still be required to wear face coverings in the following spaces:
● Public/private transportation systems (Senior Center buses, MWRTA, MBTA, Uber/Lyft, etc.)
● Health care facilities and providers, congregate care settings and health and rehabilitative day services.
● Indoors for staff and students of K-12 schools and early education providers.
Further, fully vaccinated individuals who wish to continue wearing face coverings may do so, and businesses may individually choose to maintain COVID-19 precautions including the use of face coverings, social distancing and more. To that end, the Hopkinton Public Library will continue to require face coverings for all visitors over the age of 2 until at least through summer 2021 since much of its clientele includes children.
The Governor has also filed legislation that would allow municipalities to continue to offer some meetings virtually while still complying with the State’s Open Meeting Law, and also allow for outdoor dining and alcohol consumption. More information will be provided in the coming weeks.
Massachusetts Reopening Plan
More information on Massachusetts Reopening here: mass.gov/info-details/reopening-massachusetts
Mass Vaccination Sites Open for Walk-Ups
More information on Covid-19 Vaccines here: mass.gov/covid-19-vaccine
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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