Hospitals in Wandsworth have reacted to the coronavirus outbreak by placing restrictions on people visiting patients.

As of 9am on Thursday, seven people in the borough have tested positive for the disease.

A statement on behalf of St George's and Queen Mary's hospitals said it was doing everything it could to minimise the risk of infection.

"As always, patient care is our top priority, and we would like to reassure everyone visiting our hospitals that all of our services are currently operating as normal," the statement read.

"Please attend your outpatient appointments and planned treatments as scheduled, and unless informed otherwise by our teams.

"If you are concerned that you may have been exposed to coronavirus (COVID-19), please isolate yourself from others and call NHS 111 who will advise you what to do next.

"Please DO NOT attend A&E at St George’s, or your local hospital."

But in taking precautionary action, the hospital has placed temporary restrictions for patient visitors, as of Thursday (March 12).

"We are asking friends and relatives to only visit patients at St George’s and Queen Mary’s Hospitals if absolutely essential," the statement continued.

"Members of the public should also not visit our hospitals if they have flu-like symptoms, cough, fever or a cold.

"If you really do need to visit, please only do so between 5-7pm. This applies to weekdays and weekends; with an absolute maximum of two visitors per patient.

"Children will not be allowed to visit, except if agreed in advance with the ward manager.

"In some cases, such as where patients are critically ill or nearing the end of their life, we will of course do our very best to accommodate your visiting needs.

"We would like to thank you for your co-operation, and apologise for any inconvenience caused."

You are advised to contact NHS 111 if:

  • You think you might have coronavirus – symptoms include a cough, fever and shortness of breath;
  • In the last 14 days you’ve been to a country or area with a high risk of coronavirus;
  • You’ve been in close contact with someone with coronavirus.
  • You can also visit the NHS 111 online service for more advice on what to do if you think you have coronavirus.