Eastern equine encephalitis, or EEE, concerns are on the rise in Massachusetts, creating safety concerns ahead of the holiday weekend.

The state is now looking to keep communities most at-risk safe by spraying for mosquitos.

Several towns in Worcester and Plymouth counties will be sprayed Tuesday night to try to prevent the spread of EEE.

In southern Worcester County, that will be done through truck-mounted ground spraying, with the trucks driving through heavily wooded neighborhoods over a period of several nights this week.

Meanwhile, in Plymouth County, there will be aerial spraying from two small aircraft contracted through the state Tuesday night and possibly one other night this week.

Both aerial and ground spraying will be done weather permitting, anytime between dusk and about 4:30 a.m.

Residents living within the spray zones should assume their neighborhood is being sprayed until all spraying is completed, the Department of Public Health said.

This preventative measure is in addition to people being encouraged to use bug spray with DEET, wearing long-sleeved clothing and avoiding being out between dusk and dawn when possible, according to Plymouth’s Commissioner of Health and Human Services says, which is when mosquitoes carrying to rare but deadly virus are most active.

“The spraying is one part of the solution, it is not the only solution. It is certainly something that the Department of Public Health thinks is extremely important and is a mechanism to fight against EEE, it is not the only mechanism,” said Michelle Bratti, Plymouth Commissioner of Health and Human Services.

Worcester County will have truck-mounted ground spraying for mosquitoes starting Tuesday night in several communities that are deemed critical or high risk, including Dudley, Oxford, Sutton, Douglas and Uxbridge.

Webster and Northbridge were sprayed last week.

EEE is rare but poses a serious threat to infected people of all ages.

A “rare but serious” disease has put residents in Massachusetts on edge, with warnings now to stay inside when they can, especially in the evenings, to avoid encountering mosquitoes that can spread the illness. The Bay State hasn’t seen an outbreak of eastern equine encephalitis in four years, but earlier this month, an elderly man was confirmed as the state’s first human case of 2024, and now 10 communities have been flagged as being at high or critical risk for the virus, health officials said over the weekend, per the Washington Post.

• The illness: EEE, transmitted by a mosquito bite, isn’t typically widespread, but 30% of those who contract it end up dying, while survivors often end up with continuing neurological issues. The AP notes that “few completely recover.” Symptoms include fever, headache, seizures, diarrhea, vomiting, and behavioral changes. There’s no treatment or vaccine for EEE. “This is an extremely serious disease with terrible physical and emotional consequences, regardless if the person manages to live,” Jennifer Callahan, manager for the town of Oxford, tells the Post.

Tesla has gained a key approval as it looks to open its first store in Western Massachusetts, adding on to a recent authorization it gained to construct a service center.

After Tesla was approved to build a service center at 365 Caldwell Drive in East Springfield late last year, the company has now returned to City Council to request the project add a store to the approved service location, gaining unanimous approval, according to local outlet Mass Live.

The project will be built into a roughly 35,700-square-foot building at the site, which is zoned for business use. The parking lot has enough space for roughly 360 cars to park, considered more than what the service and sales center would require.

Along with gaining approval from the City Council, Tesla was endorsed for the project by the East Springfield Neighborhood Council after it presented five conditions under which the project could be pursued. These were primarily focused on safeguarding homeowner quality of life near the property, according to the neighborhood council’s President, Kathy Brown.

“We appreciate the attention to detail and neighborhood council is in full support,” Brown said.

The conditions include a need to shield light from surrounding neighborhoods, and that the six on-site charging stations for the project only be used for the business and its customers. In addition, the conditions require Tesla to keep an existing fence and remains of mature trees at the site.

Grey Hannah, Development Officer for 6S Development, says that, while there will be some of Tesla’s vehicles available for demo drives, the company’s online ordering system means that most cars on-site will be for customers who have already ordered them. He also notes that the site is expected to generate around 30 jobs for Springfield.

Prior to being developed for Tesla, the Caldwell Drive location was home to The American Career Institute, which closed in 2013 and faces an investigation from the Attorney General. Since then, the site has been empty and its condition has not been kept up, according to officials.

Until the upcoming Springfield location is completed, the nearest Tesla stores and service centers to those in Western Massachusetts include those in and around Boston, on the Eastern side of the state, as well as others outside in Latham, New York, in Uncasville and Milford, Connecticut, and in Providence, Rhode Island.

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Tesla gains approval to build first store in Western Massachusetts