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09/27/2019 12:00 AMWhile no mosquitoes carrying eastern equine encephalitis (EEE) have been identified in Branford, begining Friday, Sept. 27 the town's schools and parks are taking the precaution of restricting outdoor activities during times when mosquitoes are most active. Branford Parks and Recreation will be closing parks and fields at 5:30 p.m., continuing until further notice. The town's public school district is rescheduling evening outdoor extra-curricular activities to the afternoon or in the morning, when reasonable, according to information shared with parents in a letter from the schools chief.
Similar actions are being taken at other towns in the state, especially following reports of two human deaths related to (EEE) virus in Connecticut, including one last week in East Lyme and a second reported by state officials on Sept. 24, 2019 in Old Lyme.
On Sept. 27, Branford Parks and Recreation Director Alex Palluzzi Jr. issued the following notice: "Beginning Friday, September 27, through next week, and until further notice, Branford's Parks & Recreation is suspending all outside activities beginning at 5:30 p.m. to all users and youth sports groups, including, but not limited to, all fields, parks, and athletic facilities, including playgrounds, throughout the town of Branford. This is all centered around the EEE crisis in the Northeast. We are sorry for the inconvenience, but the safety of our community remains paramount."
Park gates will be shut and lights over areas such as tennis courts won't be turned on during the evening closures at the town's park and recreation outdoor venues, Palluzzi told The Sound. He said he consulted with East Shore District Health Department (ESDHD) Director of Health Michael Pascucilla, Branford First Selectman Jamie Cosgrove and Superintendent of Schools Hamlet Hernandez in the decision to go forward with the early evening closures. Updates on parks and town fields closures will be posted at https://branfordct.myrec.com
As of Sept. 27, the town's public schools are also acting to take precautions. Parents were notified in a letter issued by Hernandez which stated, in part, "...the District is rescheduling evening outdoor extra-curricular activities to the afternoon or in the morning, when reasonable. Such activities include: athletic practices and games, band practice, and other school-sponsored extra-curricular activities. We recognize a change in scheduling may pose an inconvenience resulting in a certain level of frustration for our student-athletes, families, coaches, and outside organizations, but we ask for your patience during this unexpected public health issue."
The full letter can be viewed at http://www.branfordschools.org Parents with specific questions regarding a particular activity are asked to communicate with their child's school principal.
Mosquitoes are active until the first heavy frost, which is generally sometime in early-to-mid October in this region of the country, according information compiled by the National Weather Service at https://www.weather.gov Statewide, residents and their children are being advised by the Connecticut Department of Public Health to minimize outdoor activity from dusk to dawn, when mosquitoes are most active. Locally, ESDHD is providing updates on the state's EEE activity, and tips on ways to stay safe from mosquitoes at its website, https://www.esdhd.org
Both departments urge residents to take preventive measures to avoid mosquito bites and reduce the chance of contracting EEE virus, which has now been identified in mosquitoes in 14 towns located primarily in the southeastern corner of the state. New Haven-based CT Agricultural Experiment Station conducts weekly mosquito net-trapping at stations across the state and tests for viruses including EEE, West Nile Virus and another mosquitoe-borne illness, Jamestown Canyon virus. Branford has a trapping site at Lake Saltonstall. The latest statewide testing update, reported on Sept. 27, showed negative results for all viruses in the 25 mosquitoes trapped in Branford.
As the CDPH notes, other states throughout the Northeast are also experiencing an active season for EEE. In addition to the virus being found in mosquitoes, human cases of EEE infection, including fatalities, have also been identified this year in Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and New Jersey.