Two wards at Ross Community Hospital have re-opened to visitors.

The wards had been closed temporarily last week due to cases of Norovirus, which had been brought in from the community.

Alison Johnson, consultant microbiologist at Wye Valley NHS Trust said: “We have seen a higher number of cases of Norovirus than expected for this time of year across the region, which unfortunately has been brought into two of our local hospitals from the community.

“We are urging visitors to Herefordshire hospitals to refrain from visiting if they have Norovirus and to wait until they are at least 48 hours clear of diarrhoea and/or vomiting symptoms.

“If you are Norovirus free and visiting a relative or friend on one of our wards, remember to practice good hand hygiene and use the alcohol gels available in our hospitals at the entry points to each area.

“Thank you to all patients and visitors for their understanding during this period. These restrictions were put in place to protect our patients, as part of a zero tolerance approach to healthcare associated infections”.