A serious outbreak of the winter vomiting bug, Norovirus, at a major hospital of the Highland yesterday managed to escalate even more, amidst growing concerns that chiefs waited for 5 long days before issuing warnings to the general public and urging visitors to stay away.

Since Monday, the total number of wards and units affected by the bug at the Raigmore Hospital in Inverness has managed to rise from the earlier figure of 8 to 10, and the number of patients and staff becoming victims of the virus surged from 61 to 93 as of last night.

In all, 50 patients and 43 staff members now have Norovirus.

The pediatric department of the hospital and ward 6C were added to the list of wards where the patients of Norovirus are now being housed in complete isolation. Also, two wards, 2a and 11, have continued to remain closed to new admissions.

Yesterday, it was revealed that a case of Norovirus at the hospital was reported last Wednesday, a news which prompted concerns that the general population had been kept in the dark for as many as 5 days.