Crime & Safety

Courthouse Opens Today After Mystery Illnesses

Testing comes back negative.

After a week of being closed following an unknown illness that affected multiple people, the Monmouth County Courthouse will open again this afternoon.

The New Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services said in a press release Monday afternoon that since the , all test results have come back negative. The texting and closure came as a result of dozens of employees . 

State Health Department officials took 10 air samples and also looked for "a wide range of 'volatile organic compounds.'" Among the items tested for were benzene and chemicals found in cleaners. They also tested for things like pollen, mold, dust and other allergens according to the press release and all those tests came back with results "within normal ranges."

Find out what's happening in Red Bank-Shrewsburywith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Since the building was closed it has been cleaned several times and Dr. Tina Tan, the State Epidemiologist said that should help assure the public of the building's safety. "Monmouth County officials have done everything that should be done to thoroughly clean the courthouse."

Monmouth County Assignment Judge Lawrence Lawson has been overseeing the cleanup efforts and said a lot of work has been put into getting the building ready to reopen. "The health and safety professionals from the state and county have been looking out for the safety of our court employees and court users from day one," he said. "We are grateful to them for their hard work and are relieved to get back into the courthouse tomorrow and have operations return to normal."

Find out what's happening in Red Bank-Shrewsburywith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Anybody with questions about the condition of the building is encouraged to contact the Division of Consumer, Environmental and Occupational Services at 609-826-4920 or visit this website


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

To request removal of your name from an arrest report, submit these required items to arrestreports@patch.com.