Swimming resumes at Jones Beach after closure due to high levels of bacteria

Swimming at Jones Beach Bethpage State Park resumed on Friday after being temporarily closed due to exceedingly high levels of bacteria, state officials said.

"As an added layer of precaution, swimming in the Atlantic Ocean at Jones Beach Bethpage State Park was prohibited for a short time," George Gorman Jr., regional director of the State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation, said in a statement. "Recent water-quality testing detected elevated levels of enterococci bacteria. The temporary closure is consistent with New York State protocols. Today’s testing confirmed water conditions are safe and swimming can resume."

The swimming advisory was instituted at Fields 2 and 6, the Central Mall and Zach’s Bay due to high levels of the bacteria, according to a Bethpage State Park beach map.

"While this is a very rare occurrence at Jones Beach, the ocean will remain closed to recreational bathing out of an abundance of caution until additional water testing confirms that conditions are safe to reopen," an earlier social media post from beach lifeguards said.

Although enterococci bacteria are not considered harmful to humans, their presence in the environment may indicate that other disease-causing agents such as viruses, bacteria and protozoa might also be present.

The pathogens are known to sicken swimmers and others who use rivers and streams for recreation or eat raw shellfish or fish, according to the Environmental Protection Agency.

Swimming pools at the West Bathhouse and newly reopened East Bathhouse at Jones Beach remained open on Friday. Three Suffolk County beaches were also closed to bathing on Friday because of elevated bacteria levels: Bayberry Cove Beach in Setauket; Crescent Beach in Huntington; and Ronkonkoma Beach in Lake Ronkonkoma.

Click here for information on other beach closings.

Newsday's Robert Brodsky contributed to this story.