A surge in flu cases at the King Edward VII Memorial Hospital has forced the Lamb Foggo Urgent Care Centre to extend restricted opening hours.

The Bermuda Hospitals Board said it had focused resources on the hospital’s Emergency Department, where staff were tackling increased numbers of flu and respiratory illness cases.

The move means that the Lamb Foggo centre in St David’s will continue to operate weekday winter opening hours, from 6pm to 10pm, until the end of February.

Chikezie Dean Okereke, the Chief of Emergency at the King Edward, said: “It is unfortunate, but our Emergency Department continues to experience an increase in flu and respiratory illness-related attendances.

“We had hoped to have got through the worst pressures of the season, but each year the peak in attendances can vary.

“The temporary reduction in weekday hours keeps the UCC open when it is busiest, but allows us to focus resources where the clinical need is greatest and ensure patients with the most pressing medical needs are attended to in a more timely manner.”

Winter hours were introduced on December 16 and were expected to end last Friday.

There will be a nurse and doctor service at the Lamb Foggo clinic, but no X-ray service. It will operate as normal from noon to midnight at weekends, with the usual full service, including X-ray.

The BHB said the UCC would open for longer hours if the Causeway was forced to close.