Quebec ER Capacity Report: Week of February 16–22, 2026
From February 16–22, 2026, Quebec emergency departments reported an average regional capacity of 92.0%, with peak values exceeding 200% in several regions. An average of 5.9 patients remained in ERs for more than 24 hours during the week.
Provincial Overview
During the week of February 16 to February 22, 2026 (Monday–Sunday), emergency department data from across Quebec shows that the average reported capacity across regions was 92.0%.
This number is the arithmetic mean (simple average) of the regional average capacity values reported during the week.
Across the province during this period:
- Highest reported peak capacity: 360% (maximum value observed in a region at a specific interval)
- Lowest reported capacity: 0% (observed during at least one reporting interval)
- Average patients over 24 hours: 5.9
- Average patients over 48 hours: 1.7
Capacity percentages represent operational load at the time the data was reported.
Regional Variation
Capacity levels were not the same across all regions. Some regions reported higher average capacity levels than others.
Regions such as Montréal, Laval, Laurentides, Montérégie, and Lanaudière showed higher regional average capacity values during the week compared to the provincial average.
Other regions reported lower averages, which contributed to variation across the province.
Peak capacity values above 200% were recorded in several regions during individual reporting intervals. These peaks reflect specific points in time and do not represent full-week averages.
Prolonged Stays
Prolonged stay data helps provide additional context about emergency department load.
Across Quebec during this week:
- The average number of patients remaining in the emergency department for more than 24 hours was 5.9.
- The average number of patients remaining for more than 48 hours was 1.7.
These figures are arithmetic means of regional summary values over the seven-day period.
Differences were observed between regions, with larger urban regions generally reporting higher prolonged-stay averages than smaller regions.
Data Coverage
- Date range analyzed: February 16–22, 2026
- Regions analyzed: 16
- Emrgency Rooms included: 115
- Total records analyzed: 18,735
Provincial averages were calculated using arithmetic means of regional averages.
Understanding Capacity Reporting
Reported capacity is calculated as the ratio of occupied beds to working beds at the time of reporting.
- Values above 100% indicate that the number of occupied beds exceeded the number of reported working beds during that interval.
- A value of 0% indicates that no beds were recorded as occupied during that reporting interval.
These values describe operational reporting metrics only. They do not provide information about clinical outcomes or quality of care.
Informational Use Statement
This summary is based on publicly reported emergency department data and is provided for informational purposes only.