Princess Alexandra Hospital closed its doors to visitors wishing to see adult inpatients in an attempt to limit the spread of the Omicron Covid variant.

Visiting guidance for the hospital, in Harlow, was updated on Friday to suspend visitors for adult inpatients, except under “exceptional circumstances”.

According to the NHS trust’s website, these circumstances include visiting end-of-life patients, and visits from carers where communication assistance is being provided, for example for patients with learning disabilities, dementia, mental health, emotional, religious or spiritual care needs.

Additionally, child patients can still have one visitor, provided they follow infection prevention and control guidance, and there are no changes to visiting for the maternity department.

A section of the statement on the trust’s website reads: “The visiting guidance at The Princess Alexandra Hospital has been updated in response to the revised Government restrictions, referred to as Plan B, to limit the spread of the new Covid-19 variant, Omicron.

“This is to ensure that we can provide high quality care whilst keeping our patients and our people safe.”

Those visitors that are allowed to enter the hospital must wear a face covering and wash or sanitise their hands before and after visits, the statement continues.

Earlier this month, Princess Alexandra was rated “requires improvement” by the Care Quality Commission, with its emergency department being rated “inadequate”.

According to a CQC report, inspectors had to intervene to get deteriorating patients care.

Trust bosses told Epping Forest councillors earlier this month that a new hospital planned to replace Princess Alexandra will have a bigger emergency department, but further progress has been delayed while the Government conducts a review.

For arranging visits under special circumstances, visitors are asked to call the ward in advance, according to the hospital website.