Oysters are a mainstay of Duxbury’s marine economy with 12 million of the shelled gems taken out of the waters last year.

But state health officials have ordered a temporary pause on oyster harvesting in Duxbury, Plymouth, Kingston, and Pleasant Bay on the Cape after seven people got sick within the last month from consuming oysters pulled from those waters.

Duxbury’s harbormaster says the hot summer could be a factor.

“If the bay itself is very warm it could be prevalent and then it has a higher ability to increase the bacteria,” Jake Emerson said, Duxbury Harbormaster.

The shutdown of at least a week and maybe more is a real blow to the men and women who farm the oysters from the region.

“You know, you’ve got guys going at least a week without a paycheck and, you know, it really put

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