Threat of EEE moves New London's Halloween festivities indoors
New London — The city’s annual Halloween event will be held indoors at the Garde Arts Center on State Street this year due to concerns about human cases of eastern equine encephalitis in southeastern Connecticut.
Mayor Michael Passero, in a statement, said he has consulted with local and state health officials and that it has been determined the EEE virus risk is considered low but still active, making reasonable precautions necessary.
“It is the intent of the city and sponsors to have a very enjoyable and safe environment and experience for the children of the community,” he said in a statement.
The Annual Halloween Town Youth Event will be from 6 to 8 p.m. Oct. 25. It is a city-sponsored event under the direction of Barbara Neff Productions and will be held and hosted at the Garde Arts Center, 325 State St. and the gallery spaces on that block.
Passero urges parents to consider reasonable safety precautions as children travel to, participate and leave the event this year to include the following precautions:
• While outdoors, wear shoes, socks, long pants and long-sleeved shirts. Clothing material should be tightly woven.
• Consider using mosquito repellent when it is necessary to be outdoors and always use them according to label instructions. The most effective repellents contain DEET or Picaridin. Oil of lemon eucalyptus is also effective for brief periods of exposure.
• When using DEET, use the lowest concentration effective for the time spent outdoors (for example, 6% lasts approximately 2 hours and 20% for 4 hours) and wash treated skin when returning indoors. Do not apply under clothing, to wounds or irritated skin, the hands of children, or to infants less than 2 months.
Additional resources for information on EEE and mosquito management can be found at http://www.ct.gov/mosquito/site/default.asp
For information on what can be done to prevent getting bitten by mosquitoes and the latest mosquito test results and human infections, visit the Connecticut Mosquito Management Program web site at portal.ct.gov/mosquito.
Comment threads are monitored for 48 hours after publication and then closed.
