TWO outbreaks of a sickness bug at Hereford County Hospital are believed to have been caused by a visitor to the wards.

Hospital managers are urging the public not to go to the hospital if they are unwell or show any symptoms of sickness or diarrhoea.

Arrow Ward remains closed to new admissions because of the outbreak of Norovirus and visitors to patients already in the ward are restricted to one per bed.

Following a risk assessment, previous restrictions have been lifted and visiting has returned to normal elsewhere in the hospital.

Some wards have been affected by the norovirus bug since before Christmas and at one time, over New Year, there was a total ban on visiting except in essential cases.

Hereford Hospitals Trust board will be told at its meeting on Monday that during December there were four ward closures.

It will be reported that “in two of the outbreaks a visitor to the ward has been identified as the index case”.