Monmouth County courthouse to reopen - New York News | NYC Breaking News

Monmouth County courthouse to reopen

A New Jersey courthouse that has been closed for a week after dozens of staffers became ill will reopen on Tuesday.

Officials say tests of the air have not turned up anything unusual.

County officials say 25 people were taken to the hospital last Monday and roughly 40 more were treated at the building in Freehold for symptoms that included nausea, skin rashes, breathing difficulties and chest pains.

That spurred authorities to close the courthouse, forcing the rescheduling of trials and other court proceedings

The new outbreak came after 17 staffers had experienced similar symptoms on the previous Friday. Authorities initially thought those workers had reactions to a freshly cut flower that a colleague had brought into the building, but that theory was ruled out.

The state Health Department collected 10 air samples last week and tested them for a wide range of  "volatile organic compounds" such as benzene and various chemicals found in cleaning agents and the findings were well within acceptable limits, according to a state Epidemiologist.

Tests for pollen, mold, dust, common allergens and other indoor environmental quality measurements were also found to be within normal ranges.

Members of the public who may have concerns about the courthouse air quality can call the Department's Division of Consumer, Environmental and Occupational Health Service at 1-609-826-4920 or visit www.state.nj.us/health.