Massachusetts towns implement voluntary evening lockdowns to curb spread of deadly mosquito-borne disease

Several towns in Massachusetts have instituted voluntary evening lockdowns in an effort to prevent the spread of Eastern equine encephalitis (EEE), a mosquito-borne disease that can be deadly to humans.

The Oxford Board of Health voted on Wednesday to recommend that residents remain indoors after 6 pm until the end of September, following reports from the Massachusetts Department of Public Health of the first human case of EEE in the state since 2020. Beginning October 1, the advisory will recommend that residents stay inside after 5 pm until the first hard frost of winter, as these times are considered “peak mosquito hours.”

The lockdowns are voluntary, meaning residents will not face penalties for not complying. However, schools in the affected areas are adjusting their sports schedules to ensure practices and games conclude before the evening. Residents who want to use town fields outside the recommended times will be required to show proof of insurance and sign an indemnification form.

The advisory designated four towns—Douglas, Oxford, Sutton, and Webster—as “critical risk” areas. A spokesperson for the town of Oxford explained in a statement to Fox News that “It is the Board of Health’s responsibility to protect the public health, and we take EEE very seriously, and we are strongly encouraging residents to follow these recommendations due to the severity of EEE and the fact that it is 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, who resides in Oxford, has been hospitalized and is “courageously battling the virus,” according to the town spokesperson.