21 April, 2020
Previous updates and additional information and resources can be found here: www.hopkintonma.gov/covid-19
While Town Hall and municipal buildings are physically closed to the public, we are open for business. Many transactions can be completed online, and 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. Parks, Playgrounds and Playing Fields are closed.
As of 11:00 a.m. on 4/21/20, Hopkinton’s Health Department is reporting 65 total confirmed
COVID-19 cases; 48 of those cases are active, with 16 recoveries and 1 death. You can see
historical tracking and updates on Hopkinton’s Community Impact Dashboard:
https://arcg.is/15Wj8C
During this time, local case numbers may not accurately reflect the infections in our community.
There is no way to accurately determine the number of infected, but asymptomatic, individuals.
I.e. - you may be a “carrier” without knowing you are sick. This is a critical time to help stop the
spread. Please stay home, and if you must go out, wear a mask, go out only for what you need
and practice social distancing.
The Hopkinton Health Department has been working closely with the administration and
ownership of Golden Pond. The first COVID-19 case at Golden Pond was confirmed on 4/10/20.
The National Guard was deployed to Golden Pond on 4/11/20 and tested 10 other suspect
cases, which resulted in two additional confirmed cases. Golden Pond had ordered test kits for
the remaining residents and staff. The test kits arrived on 4/14/20 and all resident testing was
completed that same day. On 4/16/20, approximately 100 staff members were tested. The
results were delivered to Golden Pond on the afternoon of 4/17/20. The positive results were
forwarded to the Massachusetts Department of Public Health and entered into the
Commonwealth's reporting database over the weekend, accounting for many of the new cases
reported in Town on 4/19/20. The majority of the cases were asymptomatic and most of the
residents that have tested positive are otherwise healthy at this time.
The Health Department was sad to learn of the passing of a Hopkinton resident due to covid-19
at the end of last week.
Please remember to follow all public health recommendations including washing hands,
cleaning commonly used surfaces, practicing social distancing and wearing a mask in public.
Many people can be asymptomatic carriers so it is important to understand that because an
individual appears healthy does not mean they could not potentially be carrying COVID-19.
Additionally, if you are an asymptomatic carrier, you may feel healthy but you may be able to
pass COVID-19 without your knowledge.
Hopkinton Public Schools - NEW UPDATE
Governor Charlie Baker, in a press conference today, announced that Public Schools in
Massachusetts would not be reopening for the 2019-2020 school year. Therefore, the Hopkinton
Public Schools will continue through June 17, 2020 with the remote teaching and learning we
currently have in place.
Mr. Bishop, Hopkinton High School Principal, is working with the Class of 2020 to determine
plans for Graduation.
Although it is more challenging in our remote learning environment, prioritizing the safety and
health of all of our students remains foremost in our thinking. As such, when a student has not
been in “virtual contact” with teachers, the Hopkinton Public Schools may request a wellness
check to be conducted by one of our School Resource Officers.
As always, students and families with food needs should reach out to Food Services Director
Michelle Babin at mbabin@hopkinton.k12.ma.us
Hopkinton Annual Town Election - NEW UPDATE
As many may have already heard, the Annual Town Election has been rescheduled by the
Hopkinton Select Board to be held on June 29, 2020. The Town Clerk is encouraging
EVERYONE to vote absentee or by mail. Absentee ballots may now also be requested by
anyone who has a condition that puts them at higher risk of COVID-19.
Absentee or Mail-in Early Voting Ballots may be requested by printing out the Absentee or
Mail-in Early Voting Ballot Application, completing it with a real signature, and sending it to the
Town Clerk’s office by using any of these options:
● Scanning and Emailing to townclerk@hopkintonma.gov (smartphone scans are
accepted)
● Dropping it off in the payment slot at the front entrance of the Town Hall
● Mailing to Town of Hopkinton, Town Clerk, 18 Main Street, Hopkinton, MA 01748
If you are not yet registered to vote in Hopkinton, you may register online. The last day to
register to vote will be ten days prior to the new election date.
Click following link for Early Vote by Mail Application
https://www.sec.state.ma.us/ele/elepdf/2020-Municipal-Early-Ballot-Appli...
Click following link for Absentee Ballot Application
https://www.sec.state.ma.us/ele/elepdf/absentee/English-Absentee-Ballot-...
Click following link for to Register to Vote/Check your Registration
https://www.sec.state.ma.us/OVR/
Virtual Town Hall Office Hours - NEW UPDATE
Hopkinton continues to explore options for ways to best serve our residents during this unique
time, and we are pleased to continue our pilot program that began today. As announced last
week, the Office of the Hopkinton Town Clerk hosted a virtual Office Hours today from 12:30 -
1:30pm.
The Town Manager’s Office will host a Virtual Office Hours on Thursday 4/23, from 2pm - 4pm.
Click following link for more information:
http://cms5.revize.com/revize/hopkintonma/Virtual%20Town%20Hall%20Office...'s%20Office%20(1).pdf
Construction Advisory - NEW UPDATE
Hopkinton Health Department has issued a new Advisory. Click following link for more info
https://drive.google.com/file/d/19RtdAvN4KgPrB3_Cjbc9i2rS725_Ozq3/view
RMV Announces More Extensions - NEW UPDATE
The Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles is extending deadlines for many services
including license renewals, permits, vehicle registrations, inspection stickers and more. More
info here
Massachusetts COVID-19 Response Dashboard - NEW UPDATE
MEMA has developed and maintains a public-facing COVID-19 ArcGIS Online dashboard,
available here. This dashboard is continuously updated and captures information about current
COVID 19 case counts, cases by age, cases by county, hospital status, hospital bed status,
death tolls, and deaths by age. Users should refresh the dashboard on a daily basis as
enhancements are continuously being added.
Expanded reporting:
The Massachusetts Department of Public Health will release a breakdown of novel coronavirus
cases by city and town, as the state takes additional steps to assess and report the burden of
infection across the Commonwealth. The town-level data, which will be updated each
Wednesday, marks the latest in a series of new data reports and information that the Command
Center and DPH have made publicly available.
● Daily dashboard data are published at following link
https://www.mass.gov/info-details/covid-19-response-reporting#covid-19-c...
● Cases, city/town, & hospital facility data are published at following link
https://www.mass.gov/info-details/covid-19-response-reporting
● PPE distribution data are published at following link
https://www.mass.gov/info-details/personal-protective-equipment-ppe-duri...
● Hospital capacity published data are published at following link
**Hopkinton will continue to update our Community Impact Dashboard on a daily basis (Monday
- Friday). Click following link - https://www.mass.gov/info-details/covid-19-hospital-capacity-and-surge-r...
Stay Updated & More Resources:
You can find many resources and more information at
https://coronavirus-hopkintonma.hub.arcgis.com/
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
