Virginia Shellfish Harvesting Paused Again After Sandy

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Some Virginia portions of the Chesapeake Bay are again closed to shellfish harvesting because of health concerns stemming from last week's flooding.

The temporary ban went into effect at 12:01 a.m. Thursday. It's expected to run through Nov. 18. It affects Lynnhaven Bay, and the James, Poquoson and Back rivers.

Last week, the Virginia Department of Health closed all of the state's portions of the bay to shellfish harvesting due to flooding resulting from Hurricane Sandy. The department lifted the overall ban on Saturday.

Division of Shellfish Sanitation director Robert Croonenberghs tells The Daily Press that state officials are concerned about two viruses. Both the norovirus and the hepatitis virus could have entered urban rivers from sewage bypasses.

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