Weekly ER Capacity Report — Quebec — 2026-04-06 to 2026-04-12

Key Metrics

Provincial average ER capacity: 89.3%

Same week previous year: 81.9%

Previous week: 84.0%

Average patients waiting more than 24 hours: 5.1

Average patients waiting more than 48 hours: 1.9

Highest reported capacity during the week: 300%

Time Window

This analysis covers:

Current week: 2026-04-06 to 2026-04-12

Comparisons:

Previous week: 2026-03-30 to 2026-04-05

Same week last year: 2025-04-06 to 2025-04-12

Provincial Overview

Emergency departments across Quebec reported higher overall crowding during the week of April 6 to April 12, 2026 compared with the same week one year earlier.

Across all reporting regions, the provincial average emergency department capacity was 89.3%, compared with 81.9% during the same period in 2025. Compared with the immediately preceding week, the provincial average also increased from 84.0%.

Indicators associated with prolonged emergency department stays also rose. The record-weighted provincial average number of patients waiting more than 24 hours was 5.1, up from 4.3 in the same week last year and 4.4 in the previous week. The average number waiting more than 48 hours was 1.9, compared with 1.4 a year earlier and 1.6 in the prior week.

Taken together, these indicators reflect higher reported operational load at the provincial level during the week analyzed, though patterns varied across regions.

Week-Over-Week Change

Comparing 2026-04-06 to 2026-04-12 with 2026-03-30 to 2026-04-05 shows a broad provincial increase in reported crowding, even though several regions recorded more moderate changes.

In Montréal, the average reported capacity rose from 105.5% to 117.6%. Over the same period, the average number of patients waiting more than 24 hours increased from 9.0 to 11.0, while the average waiting more than 48 hours rose from 3.9 to 4.7.

Elsewhere, Outaouais increased from 76.6% to 84.6%, and Lanaudière rose from 106.7% to 116.1%. Some regions moved in the opposite direction, including Nord-du-Québec, which declined from 69.8% to 61.1%, and Montérégie, which edged down from 120.4% to 118.6%.

Short week-to-week changes should be interpreted as normal operational variation rather than structural system change.

Regional Standouts

While most regions reported higher average capacity than the same week last year, a smaller number showed improvement or mixed patterns.

Year-Over-Year Improvement

Estrie was the only region to report a lower average capacity than the same week last year, declining from 72.3% to 65.5%. Measures of prolonged stays also decreased over the same period.

Regions With Increased Pressure

Several regions recorded notable year-over-year increases in average capacity. Laurentides rose from 107.0% to 128.0%, while Mauricie-et-Centre-du-Québec increased from 68.7% to 85.7%. Côte-Nord and Lanaudière also reported higher levels compared with the same week in 2025.

Among regions with comparatively high current-week averages, Laval, Laurentides, Montérégie, Chaudière-Appalaches, and Montréal reported the highest levels.

Mixed Signals

Some regions showed mixed patterns across indicators. In Laurentides, average capacity remained elevated but declined slightly compared with the previous week, while prolonged stays increased. This variation highlights how different measures of emergency department activity can move independently within the same region.

Data Coverage

This analysis includes emergency department reporting across all Quebec administrative health regions.

Coverage for 2026-04-06 to 2026-04-12 includes:

Regions with reporting data: 16

Emergency department installations: 115

Total records analyzed: 19,191

Comparison period 2025-04-06 to 2025-04-12 includes:

Regions with reporting data: 16

Emergency department installations: 114

Total records analyzed: 5,770

The dataset was complete for the provincial scope analyzed. One region reported data in the current period but not in the comparison period, resulting in a slight difference in historical coverage.

Methodology

This article summarizes reported emergency department operational metrics across Quebec for two matching seven-day periods and the immediately preceding week.

Provincial averages are calculated as record-weighted means across all reporting installations.

Reported maximum capacity reflects the highest reading recorded anywhere in Quebec during the analyzed week.

Capacity percentages and prolonged-stay counts represent reported operational load only and should not be interpreted as measures of clinical safety.

Informational Use Statement

This summary is based on publicly reported emergency department data and is provided for informational purposes only.