Dunstan Hospital's only ward is closed to visitors due to a suspected gastroenteritis outbreak.
A hospital employee could not confirm the number of cases affecting staff or patients, but said reopening of the ward would be reviewed on Monday. Hospital clinical director Rob Visser last night said the situation seemed to be under control.
Patients were still being admitted and the outbreak had not affected staffing capability.
''We have still kept the ward closed to visitors ... [gastroenteritis] is prevalent in the community, so we are just trying to keep it out. At this stage we have not isolated a specific organism so it is likely just to be a viral gastroenteritis,'' Dr Visser said.
It was not suspected to be norovirus.
''It only seems to be about 24 hours people are affected for, so pretty brief.''
Cases of what was suspected to be a viral outbreak first began last week, with the first examples noticed in the ward this week, before the ward was closed to visitors on Wednesday.
No cases had been recorded since Thursday evening.
The best thing people affected by the virus could do was to stay at home and avoid contact with other people.
''Maintain very high hygiene and do all the things your mother told you to,'' Dr Visser said.
