Bedford's First Hard Frost Means EEE Restrictions Lifted

BEDFORD, MA — After a long summer of outdoor restrictions and dodging mosquito-borne illnesses, Bedford announced its first hard frost this weekend, putting an end to lingering Eastern equine encephalitis virus fears.

November brought cold temperatures and technically, the first frost in Bedford. The town said temperatures over the weekend were below 28 degrees Fahrenheit for at least 2 hours, classifying it as the first hard frost of the season.

When temperatures reach this level, the elevated risk from mosquito-borne disease is considered to have ended. That means, the ban on evening activities in Bedford is lifted.

The town isn't totally out of the woods yet — the Massachusetts Department of Public Health continues to list Bedford as a community with moderate risk for EEE. That DPH will remove all risk levels across the state at once, when the state-wide average temperatures meet the conditions for a hard frost.

In a message to residents, Bedford's Board of Health acknowledged the challenges that came along with the evening restrictions imposed over the summer and thanked residents for following them to stay safe and healthy.

Since Bedford's designation is still in place, the following precautions are advised to prevent exposure to bites from mosquitoes that may carry EEE:

• Wear long sleeves and long pants when outside from dusk to dawn;
• Use mosquito netting on baby carriages and playpens;
• Wear mosquito repellent when outdoors, especially between dusk and dawn; and,
• Avoid outside areas with obvious mosquito activity.