I wonder if Toronto or Montreal would be in a position to provide medical aid for non COVID patients to free up capacity. The figures I see for Canada are by province so im not sure about the urban load in those cities.
I can't see that happening, tbh. There's still a lot of planning of allotting space for COVID patients vs non-COVID patients in the event of an outbreak. The toll on healthcare workers is also an issue.
As far as 'load' - I heard from a doctor who worked an all-night shift last night. Hospital in downtown Toronto, and said that "city hospitals are really quiet right now" because "people are afraid to go."
But despite this, there's a lot of concern about what's to come.