Several towns in Massachusetts have implemented voluntary evening lockdowns to curb the spread of Eastern Equine Encephalitis (EEE), a mosquito-borne disease that can be fatal to humans.
The Oxford Board of Health voted on Wednesday to recommend that residents stay indoors after 6 p.m. through the end of September, following the Massachusetts Department of Public Health’s report of the first human case of EEE in the state since 2020. Starting October 1, the advisory will shift to recommending that residents remain inside after 5 p.m. until the first hard frost, as these times are considered “peak mosquito hours.”
While these lockdowns are voluntary, meaning there are no penalties for non-compliance, schools in the affected areas are adjusting their sports schedules to ensure practices and games conclude before the evening. Residents wishing to use town fields outside the recommended hours will need to provide proof of insurance and sign an indemnification form.
The advisory has classified four towns—Douglas, Oxford, Sutton, and Webster—as “critical risk” areas. A spokesperson for the town of Oxford stated in a message to Fox News, “It is the Board of Health’s responsibility to protect public health, and we take EEE very seriously. We strongly encourage residents to follow these recommendations due to the severity of EEE and its presence in our community.”
So far this year, only one human case of EEE has been reported in Massachusetts, but mosquitoes across the state have tested positive for the virus. The infected individual, a resident of Oxford, has been hospitalized and is “courageously battling the virus,” according to the town spokesperson.