Framingham Schools Cancel Outdoor Recess Amid EEE Risk

FRAMINGHAM, MA — Framingham Public Schools are taking precautions to keep students safe from Eastern equine encephalitis or EEE. The district canceled outdoor recess until the first frost, when mosquitoes are less active. Mosquitoes transmit EEE to humans through bites.

School officials made the decision after a 5-year-old Sudbury girl contracted EEE and fell into critical condition last week. Also last week, a Northborough woman contracted the virus, bringing the total number of confirmed human cases of the virus to seven in the state so far this summer.

As a result of the new cases, Framingham and several neighboring towns and cities had their EEE risk level raised by the Department of Public Health to critical.

Framingham's school district as well as the city as a whole canceled outdoor activities from dusk to dawn when mosquitoes are most active. The Framingham Athletic Department and High School Marching Band are also altering schedules reduce students' risk, according to Superintendent Robert Tremblay. More information can be found on the Flyers website.

The city has aerial and street mosquito spraying scheduled throughout the week but the district will not be spraying pesticides on or around school campuses. Because of strict guidelines for use of chemicals in schools, the district will also not be providing mosquito repellent to students. Superintendent Tremblay encouraged parents to apply repellent to students before they go to school, but not to pack the repellent with kids on their way to school.