2026-07-16 — Daily report — Quebec ERs show notable 10-day relief in patient volume, though severe stretcher overcrowding persists above 140% in Laval, Laurentides, and Montérégie.

Key Takeaways

•Provincial ER strain has eased significantly compared to 10 days ago, with waiting patients decreasing by 1,724 and average stretcher occupancy falling by 4 percentage points.

•Laval, Laurentides, and Montérégie remain under severe pressure, with stretcher occupancy rates reaching 178%, 149%, and 142% respectively.

•Hôpital Anna-Laberge (Montérégie) and Hôpital de la Cité-de-la-Santé (Laval) are the province's most congested individual facilities, with stretcher occupancies exceeding 160%.

On July 16, 2026, Quebec’s emergency departments demonstrated an overall improvement throughout the day across its 120 tracked facilities. According to historical data from urgencesquebec.com, the total number of patients waiting in ERs decreased from 1,391 in the earliest snapshot to 1,291 by the latest snapshot, while average provincial stretcher occupancy dropped from 93% to 87%. This represents a substantial easing of pressure compared to ten days prior (July 7, 2026), when there were 1,724 more patients waiting and stretcher occupancy sat at 91%.

Despite this positive provincial trend, severe localized congestion persists in several key regions. Laval recorded the highest stretcher occupancy at 178%, driven by Hôpital de la Cité-de-la-Santé which had 39 waiting patients. Laurentides (149% stretcher occupancy) and Montérégie (142% stretcher occupancy) also faced high strain, with Montérégie's Hôpital Anna-Laberge registering as the busiest individual facility in the province with 44 patients waiting and a 166% stretcher occupancy.