Beaumont Hospital in Dublin has put in place visiting restrictions in place following the outbreak of the winter vomiting bug.
Limitations have also been put in place at St Joseph’s Hospital in Raheny, Dublin, in order to contain the situation.
In a statement last night, Beaumont said it had taken the measure “as a preventative measure to contain an outbreak of norovirus in the hospital and protect patients from the spread of the virus, which is prevalent in the local community
“The public have been asked to keep away unless absolutely necessary,” it said.
Essential visits will be permitted between 6pm and 8pm until further notice and have been restricted to one person per patient. Children will not be permitted as visitors.
The virus, which is common in hospitals, is highly contagious and causes vomiting and diarrhoea.