With increasing temperatures and sunnier days, more people are itching to get outdoors. Whether through walks, runs, or simply laying out in the sun, the streets are becoming more and more filled with people wishing to enjoy the spring weather. And now, it seems that similarly to the change from bad to good weather, stores and businesses in Hopkinton are beginning to take small strides to open up.

Starbucks has opened its doors, Weston Nurseries has allowed shoppers in with masks, and for all the golfers growing restless in their homes, the Hopkinton Country Club has opened up.

According to CNN, by Sunday, more than 45 states will have relaxed restrictions on businesses, parks, or services. This is in hopes of reviving economies struggling during the pandemic that has taken nearly 76,000 lives and infected more than 1.2 million in the United States.

When asked about all the workers currently laid off, President Trump promised on Fox News, “Those jobs will all be back, and they’ll be back very soon.”

While these sound like exciting steps back to the norm, researchers are more concerned.

Researchers predict the relaxed social distancing due to reopenings will lead to 134,000 coronavirus deaths nationwide by August, nearly double their previous forecast as noted in a CNN article.

“It will be at least two to three weeks before we see an increase in the number of infections because it takes time for individuals to infect others and for them to display symptoms,” said data scientist Youyang Gu, whose coronavirus projection model is cited by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

According to an NBC 10 Boston article, as of Thursday in Massachusetts, 4,552 people have died of the disease and another 3,436 people are currently hospitalized with the virus. There are suspected 65,733 people who could be sick with the virus but not badly enough to need hospital care.

Nearby in Framingham, the number of active cases is 814, the number of deaths, 42, and the number of recoveries, 290.

While things feel a bit brighter around town with the sun shining, don’t forget to wear a mask and to stay safe.