Walsall Manor Hospital remains closed to visitors

Visitors to family and friends on wards at Walsall Manor Hospital are being asked to stay away again due to an outbreak of a vomiting bug.

The hospital has been closed to visitors since 7 February following an outbreak of norovirus.

Hospital chiefs are urging all visitors to patients on any of the hospital's wards to stay away this weekend.

But patients, unless affected by vomiting and diarrhoea, should still attend their appointments.

Outpatient facilities at the rest of the hospital are functioning as normal.

Amir Khan, the hospital's medical director, said: "We have taken the difficult decision to keep the hospital wards closed to visitors for the whole weekend.

Deep cleaned

"This is to ensure that the virus has been fully contained and those affected wards can be deep cleaned before admitting any new patients.

"We currently have 15 symptomatic patients and a number of hospital staff who have also been affected by the outbreak of the virus."

But he added they were seeing a reduction in the number of new cases which he said showed that the visiting restriction had prevented the spread of the virus.

The hospital will only allow immediate family into Critical Care areas.

In maternity, only the named birthing partner will be granted access, while in paediatrics, visits are restricted to parents or designated carers.