Two popular beach destinations along the coasts of Maryland and Virginia — Ocean City and Assateague Island — reopened to swimmers after closing for nearly a week following reports of medical waste washing ashore.
In a message posted Friday, Emergency Services Director for the Town of Ocean City Joe Theobald said, after several days of multiple high tides and beach sweeps, it is no longer “experiencing waste washing ashore.” He added that tests show that the water levels are normal.
“We are confident that it is now safe to reopen the ocean for swimming and surfing,” Theobald said.
In a statement, officials in Assateague Island said ocean access to lifeguarded beaches reopened after sweeps of the beach found only “a handful of items” and nothing new in the last two days. The Oceanside Campground Beach and South Beach will reopen on Saturday.
“As a precaution, visitors are advised to wear shoes on the beach and in the unlikely event that any medical waste is found, to contact a lifeguard or ranger,” the statement read. “We have done an intensive cleanup effort-but the risk is not zero.”
However, the North End of Assateague Island remains closed as it had a large amount of the medical and other waste wash ashore. It is likely that it will remain closed for another week or “possibility longer,” as cleanup continues.
Both Ocean City and Assateague Island officials said the source of the waste remains unclear. Some of the material found includes used needles, hygiene products, smoking products and miscellaneous plastics, according to a statement.
Both beaches closed on Sunday as officials began investigating reports of “medical waste,” including needles, washing up on shore. Local officials said Thursday that they were hopeful to reopen their beaches to the public “in the next few days.”
Meanwhile in Delaware, swimming and wading are not allowed in Fenwick Island as well as Bethany, Dewey and Rehoboth beaches. The state’s Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control issued a recreational water advisory in response to the medical waste washup and asked future visitors to check each municipality for additional restrictions.
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