A Merritt restaurant has temporarily closed its doors after a staff member tested positive for COVID-19.

Management at Mongos Merritt posted took to facebook to say this staff member tested positive for the virus and was last at work on Jan. 6.

“Fortunately, all of other employees and owner family are have no symptoms,” the post said, noting the test result came back yesterday. “Interior Health said [it was not necessary] to close the restaurant… we followed all the rules very well.”

The owners are waiting for await further instructions from the health authority before reopening to the public.

According to the most recent data from the B.C. Centre for Disease Control, the Merritt area had nine COVID-19 cases in the week of Dec. 27 to Jan. 2. Data from Jan. 3 to Jan. 9 will be released tomorrow.

Contact tracing is also underway after a member of the Merritt Secondary School community tested positive for COVID-19, according to the Nicola-Similkameen School District.