A CARE home is closed to visitors due to the winter vomiting virus.

The residential home in Southend, which Southend Council is refusing to name, has been shut to contain the outbreak of the norovirus.

The outbreak is also thought to be affecting other homes in the area and is having a knock-on effect on Southend Hospital, which is also experiencing ward closures due to the norovirus.

Pat Stone, hospital spokeswoman, said: “This is affecting elderly patients being discharged.

“If a patient cannot go back to their own home, there are now very few interim beds for us to use. Martin Elliott, Southend Council’s head of adult commissioning, said: “We are aware of one residential care home in Southend that is affected by the norovirus.”

He added the home’s managers have been liaising with the Health Protection Agency.