Chester: Visiting resumes at Countess Hospital following increase in Norovirus cases

The Countess of Chester Hospital has fully reopened visiting to all wards following a temporary suspension aimed at tackling a rise in norovirus cases.

The hospital introduced restrictions nearly two weeks ago to help limit the spread of the highly contagious winter virus, which led to a spike in patient infections across several wards.

Norovirus, commonly known as the “winter vomiting bug”, causes symptoms such as diarrhoea and vomiting, but typically clears up within a few days.

Sue Pemberton, Director of Nursing and Quality and Deputy Chief Executive Officer at the Countess of Chester Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, said:

“We’re really pleased to be able to reopen visiting to all our wards. We’ve reopened visiting as soon as it was safe to do so because we know how important it is for our patients and their loved ones to see each other and have face-to-face contact.

“Pausing visiting was not a decision we took lightly, but our absolute priority was to protect our patients and reduce the risk of norovirus spreading to other vulnerable people in our hospitals, and that’s what we’ve been able to achieve.”

People are encouraged to take steps to lower the risk of spreading illness by staying at home if unwell, washing hands regularly, and using tissues to catch coughs and sneezes.

More information on norovirus and how to prevent its spread can be found at: nhs.uk/norovirus