The emergency department at the Nicola Valley Hospital in Merritt will be closed for 12 hours on Easter Sunday, due to a lack of nurses.

Interior Health says emergency services in Merritt will be unavailable from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Sunday, April 9. They note all other inpatient services at the Merritt hospital will continue as normal.

As has been the case during previous closures, Interior Health says people who need emergency care should either head to Royal Inland Hospital in Kamloops or call 911 so they can be taken “to the nearest available and appropriate facility.”

IH says people who aren’t sure if they need to head to the emergency room should call HealthLink BC at 811.

This is the first closure of the Merritt ER in a month, and the eighth this year.

On March 20, Interior Health told NL News it is working though the challenges at the Nicola Valley Hospital, saying they have been able to identify where the issues are with recruiting and retaining staff.

The emergency department in Merritt is normally open 24/7.