Seashells are piling up on North Carolina beaches and it's because of the coronavirus

OUTER BANKS (WTVD) -- Thousands of seashells are piling up on Outer Banks beaches while tourists are being kept away because of the coronavirus pandemic.

Video from Cape Lookout National Seashore shows that waves have pushed countless seashells up onto the sand.

Typically around this time, the beaches would be more sand than shell.

According to our newsgathering partners at the News & Observer, the shell overload can be directly linked to the coronavirus pandemic. That is because North Carolina's Stay-at-Home order has kept tourists from flocking to the beach and picking up the shells for themselves.

Road blocks and license checks in Dare County have kept non-residents from getting to the beaches and taking home the free spring break souvenirs.

It remains unclear how long the Outer Banks beaches will remain closed.

President Donald Trump released a phased approach Thursday aimed at reopening parts of the country in the coming weeks.

Gov. Roy Cooper said the Stay-at-Home order has been working, but he too has turned his sights on how to safely reopen the state in the not-too-distant future.