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Ontario Hospitals Overwhelmed by Severe Flu Season
7 Jan
Summary
- Hospitals face 10-15% more patients than last year due to multiple viruses.
- Patients are being placed in hallways and recovery rooms.
- Occupancy at Sault Area Hospital reached 119% in early January 2026.
Northeastern Ontario is grappling with a severe respiratory illness season that is pushing hospitals to their limits like never before. Health Sciences North (HSN) reports a 10-15% increase in patients compared to the previous year, a situation its president and CEO, David McNeil, described as unprecedented. This surge is attributed to a concurrent peak in severe flu cases, COVID-19, and RSV, leading to a significant increase in emergency department wait times and hospital admissions.
HSN has seen more than double the typical number of patients awaiting inpatient beds in the emergency department over the past three weeks. To accommodate the influx, hospitals are utilizing alternative care spaces, including hallways and recovery rooms, a situation that has also impacted smaller facilities like Temiskaming Hospital. Sault Area Hospital reported being at 119% occupancy by January 6, 2026, with patients occupying spaces not typically designated for care, affecting services like recreational therapy and physiotherapy.
The escalating patient numbers pose a risk to scheduled procedures. Sault Area Hospital is monitoring the situation closely and may need to use recovery room spaces, potentially impacting elective surgeries. Hospitals across the region are urging the public to seek appropriate care elsewhere if possible and to exercise patience when visiting emergency departments, as all facilities are facing similar overcrowding challenges.
