Hotel shuts down due to Norovirus
A seaside hotel in Dorset closed last weekend after a suspected outbreak of the vomiting bug Norovirus.
The Royal hotel in Weymouth was deep cleaned after around 30 people came down with symptoms including vomiting and diarrhoea.
Shearings Holidays, which owns the hotel, said it would be shut from Friday till Sunday "as a precaution"
Along with the Hotel, Dorset County Hospital has shut four wards after nearly 50 people contracted the virus there. The ward closures coupled with emergency admissions has had a major impact on the day-to-day running of the hospital and some routine operations have been cancelled.
The Dorchester hospital is advising members of the public who do not need to come to the hospital to refrain from doing so
A spokesperson from Shearings Holidays said "Shearings contacted all customers affected by the weekend's hotel closure to discuss refunds and/or alternative accommodation".
In 2007 more than three million people in the UK contracted Norovirus. The bug is spread through contaminated surfaces.
Simon Marshall, Holiday compensation specialist, Ashton Morton Slack said "Norovirus can be a highly contagious bug and it is not surprising the hotel had to close down for a period of time. Symptoms can be very severe and can cause some very unpleasant problems for those affected. If it is proven that the bug was spread as a result of negligence on the part of the hotel or its staff then it may be possible to pursue a claim for compensation. If you have contracted the bug whilst staying at the hotel, or indeed if you've suffered similar problems whilst on holiday elsewhere, give us a call - we may be able to help."
