The emergency room at the Nicola Valley Hospital in Merritt will be closed for 12 hours overnight because of a lack of nurses.

Interior Health says emergency services will be unavailable between 7 p.m. tonight, Aug. 11 and 7 a.m. tomorrow Aug. 12, with people being told to head to Royal Inland Hospital in Kamloops if they need assistance during that time.

While the emergency room in Merritt is supposed to be open 24/7, this is the ninth ER closure this year.

“People in the community who need life-threatening emergency care (i.e., chest pains, difficulty breathing, severe bleeding) should always call 9-1-1 for transport to the nearest available and appropriate facility,” Interior Health said in a statement.

Anyone unsure whether an emergency room visit is warranted can call HealthLink BC at 8-1-1 or visit www.HealthLinkBC.ca for non-emergency health information from nurses, dietitians and pharmacists 24 hours a day, seven days per week.”