Four wards at Ipswich Hospital have been closed to new admissions following an outbreak of coronavirus.

An undisclosed number of new cases were recorded in the hospital this week, with the four affected wards now temporarily closed as part of the hospital’s infection prevention policies.

East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation Trust (ESNEFT), which runs the hospital, is yet to confirm which wards are affected.

A spokeswoman said however that the contacts of people affected have been traced and informed.

The hospital also made changes earlier this week after women infected with the virus gave birth at its maternity unit.

Two wards there are now being used as Covid-19 isolation wards.

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Dr Angela Tillett, ESNEFT chief medical officer, said safety remains a top priority for everyone at the hospital.

Dr Tillett said: “We have strict infection prevention and control measures in place to manage these issues swiftly and continue to follow national guidance to keep everyone safe, which is our top priority.

“We test every inpatient for Covid-19 and all our patient services remain open as usual.”