
Visits have been severely restricted at a hospital battling a surge in flu instances.
Broomfield Hospital, in Chelmsford, mentioned the emergency division, acute medical unit and medical wards have been closed to guests, apart from sufferers receiving finish of life care.
A assertion on the hospital’s web site mentioned the choice was made “to guard our sufferers”.
It got here as hospitals in Colchester, Ipswich, Luton, Bedford and Milton Keynes all urged individuals to put on face masks at their websites.
Well being providers throughout the East of England have been underneath rising stress due to a spike in seasonal viruses.
On New 12 months’s Eve, the East of England Ambulance Service declared its highest alert stage, stating it had obtained an “unprecedented stage” of 999 calls.

It adopted considerations raised by Nick Hulme, the chief government of East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Basis Belief, which runs Colchester and Ipswich Hospitals.
Mr Hulme mentioned employees had been thrown “barely astray” by an earlier-than-expected surge in flu infections.
After a go to to each the belief’s hospitals on Christmas Day, he mentioned: “It was extraordinary to see the extent of sufferers on each websites.”
‘Distinctive demand’
A press release from Bedford Hospital and Luton and Dunstable Hospital painted an identical image of winter pressures.
“Our hospitals are seeing an distinctive stage of demand on providers,” it learn.
Bosses mentioned just one wholesome particular person might go to sufferers there at a time, with individuals inspired to put on face masks.
Milton Keynes Hospital suggested that kids underneath the age of 12 ought to keep away from visiting a affected person “because of an infection management causes”.
Because the pressure on the well being service intensified over Christmas, NHS England nationwide medical director, Prof Sir Stephen Powis, mentioned: “Regardless of document A&E demand in current months, we need to reassure those who we’re working extremely onerous to maintain them secure, handle further stress and supply the very best care.”