Several people at the King Edward VII Memorial Hospital have been diagnosed with shingles, The Royal Gazette understands.

Two employees are understood to have contracted the illness in the last two months, along with one patient and at least one volunteer from the Hospitals Auxiliary volunteers, also known as the 'pink ladies'.

A spokeswoman for Bermuda Hospitals Board said she could not comment on staff members, adding: "One case of shingles has been confirmed among KEMH's in-patients and all protocols have been followed to ensure patient safety."

Shingles is not considered a fully contagious disease, though people suffering from it can pass chickenpox on to someone who has never had it.