Latest York City health officials are preparing for a potential surge in infectious disease cases linked to the 2026 FIFA World Cup, with hospitals conducting drills and training exercises to bolster their readiness. The influx of an estimated 1.2 million visitors to the Greater New York area during the tournament, alongside the broader expectation of up to 10 million across North America, presents a significant public health challenge.
NYC Health + Hospitals/Bellevue Hospital, the nation’s oldest hospital, is leading the preparation efforts. Dr. Vikramjit Mukherjee, chief of critical care and the special pathogens program at Bellevue, stated that the hospital is focused on ensuring frontline capabilities are prepared for a potential increase in symptomatic patients, particularly near MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, the primary World Cup venue in the New York metropolitan area. “We’re training a lot,” Mukherjee said. “Through June, we’re going to the hospitals next to the MetLife stadium…making sure their front-complete capabilities are ready.”
The concern centers on the risk of importing “high-consequence” infectious diseases – pathogens with high mortality rates, such as Ebola or the Marburg virus – from the numerous international travelers. This preparation builds on New York City’s experience managing international arrivals and potential outbreaks, given its three major international airports and its role as a frontline city during recent outbreaks like Ebola, COVID-19, and mpox.
Bellevue Hospital gained recognition in 2014 for successfully treating New York City’s only confirmed Ebola patient, Dr. Craig Spencer, after he contracted the disease while treating patients in Guinea. A photograph documenting his discharge is prominently displayed within the hospital, serving as a reminder of past preparedness efforts. Mukherjee emphasized the lessons learned from these experiences, stating, “Because of what we’ve seen in the last few years…we feel that we will be the ones who will be affected first for the next outbreak, and therefore have an additional responsibility of keeping prepared.”
Preparation has involved large-scale simulated exercises designed to test coordination between various agencies across different time zones and international borders. Last summer, Bellevue participated in a four-day exercise simulating the air transport of patients with a high-consequence infectious disease from Toronto, a World Cup host city, to LaGuardia Airport, followed by treatment at Bellevue. The exercise specifically tested the deployment and effectiveness of a portable biocontainment unit, used to isolate and transport highly contagious patients. “That was the biggest drill we’ve done, because that involved local, state, federal, and international partners,” said Noel Alicea, a spokesman for Bellevue.
The city has appointed Maya Handa as a “World Cup Czar” to oversee the administration’s inter-agency perform related to the event, though the extent of her public health responsibilities remains unclear. The city stated Handa’s role is to ensure the event benefits residents and the economy.
The federal landscape of public health preparedness has shifted in recent years, with the Trump administration having overhauled the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and withdrawn from the World Health Organization. This has led to state and local governments assuming greater responsibility for preparing for the World Cup. New York State recently joined the WHO’s global network of public health institutions, alongside California and Illinois, to coordinate responses to public health threats.
The White House has established a FIFA task force, led by Andrew Giuliani, reporting to the Department of Homeland Security. The task force’s website states its mission is to ensure the 2026 World Cup is “the safest” in history. Mukherjee, addressing Bellevue’s preparations in light of these federal changes, stated the hospital is advocating for continued investment in healthcare worker safety, emphasizing that “our biggest asset are our health care workers, and if we cannot keep them safe, the entire health care system infrastructure falls through.” He added that the hospital’s priority is ensuring healthcare workers are protected as they respond to potential outbreaks.