US EditionDoctors in FIFA World Cup cities worry about ER capacity, strain on health system
Doctors warn Toronto and Vancouver hospitals face capacity risks from infectious diseases and trauma during FIFA World Cup amid ongoing flu season and reduced vaccination rates.
- On Jan. 19, 2026, Dr. Catherine Varner warned Toronto and Vancouver's emergency departments could buckle if a surge occurs during FIFA World Cup games in June and July, saying `we haven't been able to handle a surge in acute care need anywhere in Canada it seems`.
- Amid this year's severe flu season, clinicians report acute bed and ICU shortages with hospitals running at or above capacity, while Varner says Canada's health-care system operates in a constant state of surge capacity.
- Public Health Ontario flagged measles, food-borne illnesses and COVID-19 as concerns, and World Cup organizers recommend monitoring trends and enhanced surveillance during the tournament.
- Hospitals may respond by cancelling elective surgeries and recalling staff to free beds, while clinicians say triage will direct patients by severity, straining public-health contact tracing.
- Varner urges a national plan and calls for `a coherent, feasible, actionable, and national plan` to increase beds and train personnel, while officials recommend re-evaluating risks closer to June citing Vancouver's Lapu-Lapu attack and 2010 measles outbreak.
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The influx of millions of visitors to Toronto and Vancouver is expected to put additional pressure on hospitals. Doctors have warned of a surge in measles, COVID-19, and emergency cases, as governments and hospitals scramble to finalize preparations.
Canada's overburdened health systems may buckle with additional demand during FIFA World Cup
Excitement is building for FIFA World Cup soccer games in Toronto and Vancouver in June and July, yet Canada's overburdened health systems may buckle with any additional demand, cautions an editorial published in CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal) https://www.cmaj.ca/lookup/doi/10.1503/cmaj.252094.
Toronto and Vancouver will host a dozen FIFA Soccer Cup 2026 games this summer, where hospitals could face an increase in patients.
Doctors in FIFA World Cup cities worry about ER capacity and the strain on health system
Doctors in Canada's FIFA World Cup host cities say they're concerned the already strained health-care system will buckle if a sudden, unexpected surge slams emergency departments during the games.
How Canadian doctors are preparing for potential FIFA World Cup public health challenges
As Toronto and Vancouver gear up to co-host FIFA World Cup games this summer, an emergency doctor worries that Canada’s overburdened health-care system won’t be able to handle the extra demand from possible infectious disease outbreaks or weather-related illnesses.
Can Canada's health systems handle increased demand during FIFA World Cup?
Excitement is building for FIFA World Cup soccer games in Toronto and Vancouver in June and July, yet Canada's overburdened health systems may buckle with any additional demand, cautions an editorial published in CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal).
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