NYC hospitals gearing up for nightmarish World Cup diseases as fans descend on metro
New York and New Jersey hospitals are preparing for potential infectious disease outbreaks during the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which is expected to draw millions of international visitors to the region. Medical teams have conducted large-scale drills to handle high-consequence diseases and mass-casualty events, with facilities like Bellevue and Hackensack Meridian Health leading preparedness efforts. Health officials emphasize readiness and coordination across local, state, and federal levels to manage public health risks during the tournament.
- ▪New York and New Jersey health experts have spent two years preparing for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, anticipating 1.2 million visitors to the metro area.
- ▪Hospitals are training for outbreaks of diseases such as Ebola, cholera, measles, tuberculosis, and SARS, as well as mass-casualty incidents.
- ▪A major drill involved 500 health providers simulating the transport and treatment of infectious disease patients arriving from a World Cup host city.
- ▪Bellevue Hospital treated New York City’s only confirmed Ebola patient in 2014 and remains a key facility for high-consequence pathogen response.
- ▪Hackensack Meridian Health, the closest Level 1 trauma center to MetLife Stadium, has been training for two years and will have medical staff onsite during games.
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World News NYC hospitals gearing up for nightmarish World Cup diseases as fans descend on metro By Jeanne Erickson Published May 2, 2026, 8:15 a.m. ET For the past two years, New York and New Jersey infectious disease experts have been laser focused on prep and training for the upcoming FIFA World Cup games — with 1.2 million visitors from around the world set to watch 48 teams battle it out on the pitch. Across the US, those numbers skyrocket to 6-7 million. 6 The matches at MetLife Stadium in Rutherford, N.J., will begin on June 13 and attract millions of fans from around the world.
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