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SOUTHBOROUGH, Mass. — All town-owned outdoor properties will be closed between 6 p.m. and 6 a.m., the Southborough Board of Health ruled Wednesday. Activities on those properties will not be allowed during that time.
The decision was made in conjunction with other town departments and public safety.
This action came in response to the increased threat of the mosquito-borne illnesses, including West Nile Virus and EEE. After it was confirmed that a Westborough man died of EEE last month, the state's Department of Public Health raised Westborough's mosquito-borne illness risk level to "critical" on Sept. 7. The state then raised Southborough's risk level to "high."
Northborough town officials enacted a similar restriction on Monday, which has required the ARHS Athletic Department to reschedule home games so they end before 6 p.m.
There are few such games in Southborough, however. At Wednesday's Board of Health meeting, officials from the K-8 schools and Southborough Recreation said they would try their best to move activities indoors whenever possible.
Board of Health Chairman Louis Fazen III warned residents that mosquito repellant is not always enough to protect from bites, since it can wear off easily. Even large-scale spraying by the Central Massachusetts Mosquito Control Project (CMMCP) can only do so much, he added.
He suggested that residents limit their time outdoors when mosquitoes are active. "You really are at risk from dusk to dawn," Fazen said.
Click here to learn about the symptoms of West Nile Virus and EEE.
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