Novato Lucky supermarket temporarily closes due to rodent infestation

NOVATO, Calif. (KGO) -- There was shock and concern in Novato on Friday.

Several local shoppers arrived at the Lucky supermarket on Grant Avenue, only to discover it had been closed down the day before.

It was forced to temporarily shut its doors because of a rodent infestation.

"It's a concern obviously, because something is not right. Somebody is not taking care of what they should do," said shopper Dov Schriver.

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Laine Hendrinks is a spokesperson for Marin County.

She says the store will likely remain closed until at least Monday.

"We received complaints about visible signs of rodent droppings in the store, as well as a rodent sighting," Hendricks said.

Public Health officials say closures at big chain grocery stores are rare, although not unheard of. They tell us that the Lucky in Novato will have to take several steps before they're allowed to reopen.

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"First, there will need to be a facility assessment after Lucky's addresses the issue at hand. They'll also need to address any structural modifications that may have taken place in order to prevent the rodents from entering the building. And then, finally, Lucky's will need to be able to document for three consecutive days that there's no rodent activity onsite," Hendricks said.

Lucky's parent company says they're working diligently with the county to get the store up and running once again.

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"I mean, they found something, but I'm sure it'll be fixed soon," said shopper Ken Hartley.

But until that time comes, some shoppers say they'll be taking their business elsewhere.

"Well, I'm just going to go to Safeway," Schriver said.

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