News Flash

Tom

COVID-19 Update

• As of today, the MA Department of Public Health (DPH) is reporting 169,976 total confirmed COVID-19 cases in Massachusetts, of which 12,372 are in Plymouth County.  Confirmed cases have been steadily rising in MA since September. 
• After three consecutive weeks in the state’s “red” COVID-19 category, Hingham moved back to the “green” category as of Friday, with 424 total cases and an average daily incidence rate of 7.7 per 100,000 people over the prior 14 days. 
• The state revised its COVID-19 metrics to account for population size and positivity rate in determining how a community moves between the different color designations. 
• Under the current state guidance, Hingham remains in Phase 3, Step 1 of the Governor’s reopening plan.  We need three consecutive weeks in a non-red category to be considered “lower risk” and move to Phase 3, Step 2.
• This week, our Health Department will roll out a new COVID-19 dashboard that you can find on the Town’s COVID-19 Update Center website.  The dashboard consolidates state and Hingham Public School data into one visual that we will update each Friday.
• Last Friday (11/6), several new COVID-19 measures announced by the Governor went into effect.  These measures include: 

1. A revised Stay At Home Advisory instructing residents to stay home between 10:00pm and 5:00am except for work, school, and essential needs.
2. A new executive order that requires the early closure of certain businesses and activities each night at 9:30pm.
3. An updated face coverings order requiring all persons over age 5 to wear face coverings in all public places, even when more than 6 ft. apart.
4. An updated order restricting gathering size (to 10 people for indoor gatherings at private residences, and 25 people for outdoor gatherings at private residences) and requiring that they end by 9:30pm.  

• More details can be found on the DPH website and the Town’s COVID-19 Update Center website. 
• Our office has received several questions about the possibility of holding Special Town Meeting given the state’s new COVID-19 restrictions.  
• As they did in the spring, the Governor’s most recent COVID-19 orders provide an exception for municipal legislative bodies, which means that Special Town Meeting will still take place on Saturday, November 21 outdoors at the Hingham High School multi-purpose field.  
• Like we did at Annual Town Meeting in June, we will be taking as many COVID-19 precautions as possible at the November Special Town Meeting.  These include holding the meeting outdoors, spacing chairs 10 ft. apart, requiring masks and social distancing, having hand sanitizer stations available throughout the venue, and cleaning microphones after each use.