Milford Officials Close Fields Due To EEE Virus Risk

MILFORD, MA — Milford fields will close at 6 p.m. to limit residents exposure to the EEE virus. The Milford Board of Health announced on Monday that all playing/ball fields will be closed from 6:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m.

In addition to the field closures all outdoor sports and activities on school and/or Town owned playing fields are suspended until further notice. Milford is at a high-risk level for the virus because it borders towns that are at a more serious critical level.

This weekend, a Fairhaven woman was the first person in Massachusetts to die from Eastern equine encephalitis virus this year, according to social media posts from her family and her husband's union.

There are 17 communities scheduled for aerial spraying on Monday evening, including parts of Milford. The second human case of EEE was reported in Grafton on Aug. 16, elevating the risk level for several neighboring communities. EEE is a rare but serious and potentially fatal disease. The first two human cases of EEE in Massachusetts since 2013 were announced on August 10 and August 16 and are an indication of the current significant risk of EEE in the commonwealth.

While spraying doesn't completely eliminate the risk and presence of mosquitoes it is a tool against the spread of the EEE virus. DPH officials still urge residents to limit time outdoors in the evenings and wear bug spray.