By Christine M. Quirk — Christine@concordbridge.org
The risk of mosquito-borne eastern equine encephalitis led Concord schools to limit outdoor athletics this month — but the game just changed.
“After consultation with the Concord Health Director and School Committee, we have lifted the evening restrictions,” Superintendent Laurie Hunter told The Concord Bridge.
The school department modified its policy on Tuesday, and Public Health Director Melanie Dineen confirmed she had approved the changes based on updated information.
The change-up means Saturday’s annual Kicks for Cancer event at CCHS can again include evening games.
Kicks for Cancer Committee Chair Trish Siefer said the schedule had been adjusted for a dusk-to-dawn outdoor activity restriction meant to limit mosquito exposure. To avoid more staffing changes, she said, adjusted game times will stay in place, but later matches will be added back in.
“We are thrilled that two of the games that were supposed to be moved off-site (due to the restrictions) will now be able to come back to CCHS this Saturday,” Seifer said in a Tuesday morning email.
“Students are thrilled to have the night games back in place. … The tradition of the sun setting, the lights twinkling, and the evening games starting is a spectacular sight.”
Shifting schedules
The BOH had recommended curtailing outdoor activities to reduce exposure to EEE, a rare but serious illness for which there is no vaccine or cure.
The school department adopted the recommendation, leading to disappointment as game, practice, and event schedules — including for Kicks for Cancer — had to be retooled.
CCHS athletic director Aaron Joncas said when the EEE restrictions went into place, he rescheduled the September home games. When the ban was lifted Tuesday morning, it was already too late to secure an official for a Friday game. The Patriots will face Waltham at home on Saturday at noon as part of Kicks for Cancer.
The next two CCHS home games will be played Thursday, October 10, and Friday, October 18, under the lights.
CCHS varsity head football coach Joshua Reed said that game preparation remained the same regardless of the schedule, but senior co-captain Connor Sones also noted that attendance can be higher on Fridays because some students have Saturday commitments.
Plus, Sones said, “Friday night lights make it more exciting.”
Dineen told the board on Monday that last week’s mosquito testing was negative. This week’s testing had not been completed, and it was unclear if it would happen at all.
After October 1, the state will no longer monitor mosquitoes for the virus, Dineen said, but “you’re in your [current] risk level until frost, is what I’ve been told.” The board stopped short of lifting its outdoor cautions for fear of a reinstatement if new testing came up positive.
While public health remains the priority, members were aware of the scheduling snafus the restrictions caused for the community. “If there is not any more sampling happening after this week [then] I would feel comfortable, based on the trend of things, to relax our recommendations,” BOH Chair Randy Kring said.
‘Out of the woods’
The state still considers Concord high risk, entomologist Tony Kiszewski said — but he still thought Concord was “out of the woods.”
“For every species that would be a risk, the numbers are way down, even below annual averages,” Kiszewski said.
Despite the positive update, residents should still take precautions when outside, officials warned.
“The [insects] that are out there right now are probably riskier because they’re older, and they’re more likely to be infected,” Kiszewski said. “So any mosquito you see is [potentially] dangerous.”
Infected mosquitos
The precautionary recommendations came after East Middlesex Mosquito Control tested Concord insects on September 5 and 10 and confirmed the presence of EEE. The positive results also prompted pesticide spraying of the perimeters of town and school recreational fields.
At an emergency meeting on Saturday, September 14, the Board of Health unanimously voted to “strongly recommend” restricting outdoor activities between dusk and dawn to reduce the risk of being bitten. The School Department also adopted this recommendation, moving sports and other activities, including the traditional Friday night football games, to daylight hours.
CCHS varsity head football coach Joshua Reed said that game preparation remained the same, regardless of the schedule.
Senior co-captain Connor Sones noted that game attendance can be higher on Friday nights since some students have other commitments on Saturdays. “Friday night lights make it more exciting,” he said. “[It’s] special for the football program.”
While there’s no football game scheduled for this Friday night, CCHS Pep Band trombonist Mariana Cadavid looked forward to a comeback.
“The rush of getting in our Pep Band sweatshirts, cheering the football team on, and playing those songs and just having that sense of community is so fun,” the senior said.
“It looks like things are looking up… I’m super excited about that.”
Felicity Zhang and Bill Sones contributed reporting.
