West Suffolk Hospital in Bury St Edmunds, which serves both Newmarket and Haverhill, has been forced to close four wards following an outbreak of the vomiting illness, the Norovirus.
Gwen Nuttall, Chief Operating Officer at West Suffolk Hospital, outlined: “Norovirus is very infectious and every year there are cases in the community which transfer to the hospital. Because the virus has an incubation period of several days, people are often unaware that they are carrying it until after they have passed it on.”
Visiting hours to the infected wards has been restricted to evenings, between 7pm and 8m, whilst children are being urged to stay away completely.
Gwen went on to add: “Anyone who visits the hospital should be vigilant and take care to clean their hands. If they are visiting the affected wards, they should use soap and water when they arrive and before they leave, as the alcohol gel is not effective against this virus.”
