THE number of wards that have had to be closed to new admissions at York District Hospital is now six.

After seven were closed over the weekend, the situation is said to be improving. A total of 34 patients are now affected with 21 of those recovering.

During the past three weeks, more than 200 people have been struck down in the worst Norwalk outbreak at the hospital for two years.

The virus causes diarrhoea and vomiting and seven wards of the hospital were closed at the peak of the last outbreak, when routine operations had to be cancelled.