A WARD at the Royal Bolton Hospital which had partially reopened after a norovirus outbreak has been forced to close again.

Two bays of respiratory ward D4 reopened on Monday after thorough deep cleaning following an outbreak of the sickness and diarrhoea bug – but staff at the hospital have now been forced to shut the whole ward for a second time.

Complex care ward B4 also remains closed to new admissions and two bays of acute frailty unit B1 are also closed.

The main part of ward G3 has now reopened, although a trauma stabilisation unit at the bottom of the ward remains closed, and ward H3 is currently under oberservation as a precaution.

Symptoms were first noticed among patients and staff on March 30, but the outbreak became more serious last Tuesday (April 7).

The hospital is currently not discharging patients from affected wards to other closed units, such as care homes, so as not to spread the illness there.

No more than two visitors are allowed on affected wards at any one time, and children cannot visit.

Relatives are also being asked not to visit if they have had symptoms in the last three days and are being told to wash their hands on entry and exit and after contact with patients with the bug, or their environment.

On Saturday, the Bolton News reported health chiefs were claiming Bolton is “in the grip” of a norovirus outbreak.