Interior Health says the emergency department at the Nicola Valley Hospital in Merritt will be closed overnight due to an “unexpected limited nursing availability.”

The health authority says the ER will be closed from 6:30 p.m. Friday, Feb. 17 to 8 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 18.

While emergency services will be unavailable in Merritt, IH says all other inpatient services will continue as normal during that 13 and a half hour window.

This is the fifth ER closure in Merritt since Dec. 20 of last year, and the second this month.

As has been the case during previous closures, Interior Health says who need emergency care should call 911 so they can be taken “to the nearest available and appropriate facility.”

Anyone unsure whether an emergency room visit is warranted can call HealthLink BC at 8-1-1.