Visitor warning after Norovirus cases at Jersey's hospital

• Report by ITV Channel's Wesley Smith

People are being told to avoid visiting Jersey's General Hospital if they are ill after a number of patients tested positive for Norovirus.

The Hospital's Acute Assessment Unit (AAU) is temporarily closed to stop the spread of the virus, which causes vomiting and diarrhea.

The government says a 'small number' - less than five patients - have the illness, but islanders who have any symptoms are being told to avoid visiting the hospital and other Health and Community Services (HCS) sites.

Rose Naylor, Chief Nurse, said: “We have to be careful to minimise the spread of Norovirus and COVID-19, and we continue our appeal to all visitors to only come to Hospital and other HCS sites if they are not symptomatic in any way.

"Visitors must always wear a mask in the Hospital and if they don’t, they will be asked to leave. We would also ask visitors to take a Lateral Flow Test before they visit.”

Islanders are also being reminded not to visit the hospital with symptoms of Covid-19 and are being told to practice good hand hygiene and continue wearing masks.

It comes after the number of positive coronavirus cases within the hospital has risen to its highest level since the pandemic began.

A total of 44 patients in the General Hospital have tested positive for Covid-19, while 9 people at other HCS sites have the virus.

62 members of staff across Jersey's health department are currently off work because of COVID-19-related illness.