The Press of Atlantic City reports that even though medical waste washed up along miles of beach (between Barnegat Light to Surf City) on Sunday afternoon, Long Beach health officials didn't close beaches—or confirm it until yesterday. Long Beach Island Health Department director Tim Hilferty said issuing a press release "didn't even cross my mind. I felt comfortable that there was no risk at all to the public," given that it was cleaned up by Monday morning and no more waste was found. According to Hilferty, "the debris included syringes, wood, plastic, bottle caps, cell phone cases, ribbons and balloons." However one beachgoer—a nurse—tells the Press that "she saw syringes, catheters, butterfly catheters, medical tubing, blood test tubes, urine specimen bottles, condoms, fecal bags and hazardous waste bags," emphasizing, "There was so much medical waste everywhere you couldn't walk without stepping in it." Barnegat Light Mayor Kirk Larson feels comfortable with the response, adding, "We've only had three sunny days. What do you want me to do, close the beaches? I didn't get anything from the health department to close the beaches." more ›

Governor Spitzer said that the NY State Department of Health's response regarding the Nassau County doctor exposed over 600 patients to hepatitis C and HIV was "unacceptably slow" and ordered an investigation. Dr. Harvey Finkelstein, an anesthesiologist, reused syringes and multiple-dose medicine vials between January 2000 and January 2005; some patients learned they had contracted hepatitis in 2005, but the state and Nassau County officials waited 34 months to contact other patients. It turns out... more ›