Covid shuts ward at Hereford hospital as patients test positive

The Wye Valley NHS Trust, which runs the hospital off Commercial Road, said the "small number" of patients with Covid on the ward were put into isolation.

A spokesperson said Arrow Ward, a respiratory and cardiac medicine ward, was temporarily closed to visitors, with close contacts of confirmed cases traced.

"These patients are being cared for in isolation and Covid-19 testing for all inpatients on this ward has been carried out," they said.

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"The trust has also undertaken ward staff and visitor contact tracing.

"Patient safety is paramount and the Trust has stringent infection prevention and control measures in place to help minimise the transmission of this virus within its hospitals. 

"The trust has tried and tested plans in place and our hospital is set up to care for coronavirus patients."

Latest NHS England data showed 23 people were being cared for in hospital by the Wye Valley NHS Trust, which runs Hereford County Hospital, on Tuesday, October 12.

That was up from 20 on the same day the previous week (October 5).

The latest figures also show that 28 new Covid patients were admitted to hospital in Herefordshire in the week to Sunday.

The week before, 30 patients were admitted. 

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All inpatients are tested for Covid-19 on admission to hospital and cared for in isolation if their test is positive, the trust added.

Testing is also carried out during the hospital stay and when patients need to be transferred to care homes or a community hospital.

"Enhanced cleaning and decontamination regimes are in place across the trust and staff are required to wear personal protective equipment when caring for patients and follow hand hygiene practices, in line with The UK Health Security Agency guidance, to provide the safest possible care to patients. 

"We would like to thank local residents for following the Governments’ advice and guidance.

"It is important that we continue to do this, in particular staying at home if you have Covid-19 symptoms and getting PCR tested."

It's as the infection rate in Herefordshire, the number of cases per 100,000 people, fell to 408.5 in the seven days to October 14.

The week before the rate was 464.3.