The Hopkinton Board of Health at its meeting Monday evening unanimously approved a change to Hopkinton’s tobacco regulation policy, calling for a three-day permit suspension for an establishment’s first violation for selling tobacco or vaping products to minors. The...
Board of Health
Board of Health roundup: Updates provided on COVID, Winter Street noise, Health Fair
With the pandemic waning, the Board of Health at its meeting Monday night discussed moving away from its focus on COVID-19 and toward developing a strategic plan that will reflect Hopkinton’s overall health objectives. Health Department Director Shaun McAuliffe said...
Board of Health roundup: Noise complaints on Winter Street could lead to ordinance; State Park reopens upper beach
Complaints from several residents living on or near Winter Street could eventually lead to the town adopting its own noise ordinance sometime in the fall. That along with COVID regulations for the upcoming school year and the status of local beaches were the main...
Health Department encourages more mask use as COVID rate continues to soar
The recent spike in COVID cases has shown no letup. In fact, it continues to get worse. The good news is the illnesses have not been as severe. The bad news is the absences caused by COVID have put a major strain on town services — especially the schools. “All of our...
Board of Health roundup: Nursing finances discussed; post-COVID initiatives continue
They still have to approve it when a final version comes back from the town’s legal counsel, and they already have approved the Town Meeting article, but Board of Health members Monday night voiced support of a revolving account for the Health Department’s nursing...
Board of Health roundup: With COVID waning, other issues move to forefront
COVID-19 is not completely off the radar, but as cases continue to decline, Hopkinton health officials are ready to dig into other important health issues. “One of the things we've been discussing is how one of our challenges, moving out of COVID, is keeping it in the...
Health director: PFAS detected in other water supplies in town
Not only is Hopkinton’s PFAS problem not improving, the chemicals are turning up in other water supplies in town, health director Shaun McAuliffe shared Monday. Speaking at the Board of Health’s regular meeting, McAuliffe said elevated levels of PFAS (man-made per-...
Health Department discusses target data for making masks optional in town: ‘Pure metrics, pure science, no politics’
While Hopkinton has continued to see an improvement in the number of COVID cases, the town continues to be listed by the CDC as “high risk for community transmission” and is at least a few days away from getting out of that designation, Health Director Shaun McAuliffe...
Board of Health recommends masks in Hopkinton schools
Masks should be worn in the Hopkinton Public Schools when students return to class as part of “a layered approach” to prevent the spread of COVID-19, the Board of Health recommended to the School Committee in a joint meeting Wednesday night. The School Committee is...
Board of Health on basketball court closures: ‘Illegal activities represented a public health nuisance’
In the town's COVID-19 update for Friday, the Board of Health included a link to a memo regarding the closure of the outdoor basketball courts at the schools. Earlier this week the rims were removed from all the backboards to prevent anyone from playing at the courts...
Retailers prepare for new plastic bag regulation
Come the New Year, single-use, plastic checkout bags will be a thing of the past for the majority of customers shopping at retail and grocery stores in town. After a public hearing in April, the Board of Health passed the new regulation which is slated to go into...