Bonnyville residents will not have access to the emergency department at the Bonnyville hospital tonight.

In a release earlier Thursday afternoon at roughly 2:00p.m., Covenant Health says due to an unexpected physician shortage, the emergency department services will be closed Thursday, April 20, at 5:00p.m. until Friday April 21, at 7:00a.m.

“We would like to thank the community for their patience and apologize for any inconvenience this may cause as we navigate this extended staffing shortage,” says Shelly Franklin, Site Administrator, Bonnyville Health Centre, in a press release.

“We acknowledge that this temporary service reduction will cause some concern for local residents, and we ask that you are patient with our staff during this challenging time.”

“We are grateful to the teams from Covenant Health and AHS, who are working tirelessly to find solutions to staffing shortages in the North Zone.”

Patients are asked to call 911 if they have a medical emergency and will be re-routed to neighbouring hospitals if necessary.