Coronavirus (COVID-19) current situation and case numbers
This page provides updates about the current situation, latest case numbers and related information. It is updated every day by 9 pm AEST and reflects the previous 24 hours.
Local outbreak information
Check your local state or territory website for directives and travel restrictions.
We are managing the COVID-19 outbreak in Australia as a health emergency. This page provides a number of visual representations of information about COVID-19 in Australia.
COVID-19 summary statistics
The below tiles show the:
- total number of COVID-19 cases, active cases and deaths recorded in Australia since the first case was reported. Note: the number of active cases is an estimate as states and territories differ in how they collect this data
- number of locally acquired, including under investigation and overseas acquired cases in the last 24 hours
- current number of hospitalised cases and tests conducted in the last 24 hours
- number of locally acquired, including under investigation and overseas acquired cases in the last 7 days.
Note: States and territories provide these figures daily. Due to the dynamic nature of case data, state and territory health departments may revise their daily numbers, where historic cases may be added or previously reported cases excluded after further investigation.
*Locally acquired cases reported in the last 24 hours and in the last 7 days include cases reported as under investigation.
Daily data on the status of Australia's COVID-19 vaccine rollout is now available. This includes a detailed infographic and breakdown of vaccine doses administered across Australia. See the latest data on Australia's vaccine rollout.
Good morning, my name is Dr Lucas De Toca and I lead the Department of Health’s primary care response to COVID-19. Today I am joined by Linda who will be doing Auslan interpreting as usual. Welcome back to Top Three. My shout out today goes to people who are starting to go back to their normal health care after they have put off some of their appointments or screening due to COVID-19. Last year was a big disruption and it meant that a lot of people could not access care face to face and had to push back regular screening or cancer screening. We really encourage you to go back to those appointments and catch up on your outstanding health care needs, now that face to face care is available throughout most of the health system.
As usual, we’re on the land of the Ngunnawal people. So, (Speaks in Indigenous language). I would also like to acknowledge the Elders from the lands where people are viewing from.
Last Top Three, I got my flu shot while Linda interpreted. I'm happy to confirm the only side-effect that I’ve experienced is a little bit of a sore arm. Nothing else. And it really did not hurt. So I’m plugging again, a reminder, if you are not yet eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine, go and get your flu vaccine. If you are eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine, try to make an appointment and get your COVID-19 vaccine and then two weeks after you can get your flu shot.
First question, if I'm eligible to get the vaccine, can I choose which type I get?
No. You won't be able to choose which vaccine you can get. At the moment, COVID-19 vaccines are prioritised for different population groups based on the clinical advice and regulatory approval from the Therapeutic Goods Administration, the TGA, and appropriate cohorting or assigning a vaccine to different groups based on availability and need. The Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation, ATAGI, provides advice to the Government on how to best structure the vaccine program and do this in a safe and effective way. We have two very effective vaccines in Australia available at the moment, Pfizer and Oxford AstraZeneca. They are both really good at preventing severe disease, hospitalisation, and death from COVID-19, but based on the safety profile and associated side effects, they have been prioritised to different groups and based on the advice of ATAGI, the Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation, the Pfizer vaccine is the preferred recommended option for people under 50 years of age that is because there has been identification of a rare but severe side effect with the AstraZeneca vaccine, and this rare side effect which is called Thrombocytopenia syndrome or TTS, appears to be more common in younger people, also older people are at a much higher risk from COVID-19, and that is why the AstraZeneca vaccine is preferred for people over 50.
At the moment, if you are over 50, you can access AstraZeneca from May 17 from any private care facility, but at the moment from quite a number of clinics, if you are under 50 and eligible under phase 1 with an underlying condition or a significant disability or you are a healthcare worker or in a high-risk position or priority for critical emergency services, you can access Pfizer from one of the Pfizer clinics. Maybe later in the year, things may change and we might be able to offer different vaccines and there are a potential for other vaccines to come into Australia, but at the moment the moment is if you are under 50, Pfizer is preferred, over 50, AstraZeneca is preferred. When it’s your time to make an appointment and your doctor offers a vaccine to you, we encourage you to get the vaccine that is offered if you get the opportunity but, as it has always been, the vaccination program in Australia remains voluntary.
Second question - if I don't have a smart phone, how do I check in to venues, pubs, clubs?
Yeah so, the check-in is a really important way to maintain the contact tracing now that Australia is essentially open, within our borders. If you don’t have a smart phone, cause most states now have a designated public app that you can use to check in using a QR code, but if you don't have a smart phone or your phone does not connect to the internet you can either use a friend or family member or someone you are with to check in, you can check in others with the apps, or you can use pen and paper. It is a requirement for venues to be able to record and be able to record visitors that come in to public venues and they have to offer it to people, regardless of whether they have a smart phone or not. The quickest and easiest way is to use the QR code with a smart phone on the app, but if you do not have one and you are not with anyone who has one then you can still use pen and paper to record your details. It is really important we do so, because if there is, the unlikely but eventually across the country it does happen, the case of a confirmed case of COVID-19 in a venue, pulling the registrations from the QR code and pen and paper list allows contact tracing for the COVID detectives that the public health units use to identify and quickly see who has visited the venue to reach out to isolate and get tested if necessary and that has been so effective in the last few months so that when there has been one case in the community we can identify contacts and isolate and stamp out the cluster before it becomes an outbreak.
There was a case of community transmission in NSW yesterday and NSW is actively using the contact tracing capability from venue registration to support the public health response. It is a really simple thing that we can do when we enter a public venue and we strongly encourage you to keep doing it. It is a requirement for entry into public venues in this COVID normal environment we have now.
Finally, why do reactions to the COVID-19 vaccines differ?
Yeah so everyone can respond differently to different vaccines. All vaccines have potential side-effects. The most common ones are very common across all vaccines. You can be a bit sore around the injection site or you can have general symptoms of not feeling OK or fever or just feeling rundown and a bit of an ache. That is common across most vaccines and it shows that your body is responding. It is building up an immune response and that sometimes mimics how you feel when you are feel when you are rundown. The vaccines approved in Australia are safe and the TGA does the initial approval and registration of vaccine but also does an ongoing monitoring and surveillance system by which side effects, adverse events, anything related to vaccination gets identified, catalogued, dealt with. There are regular updates on the findings in terms of adverse events and side-effects to the vaccines. After you get your vaccine for the COVID-19 vaccine, similar to other vaccines, you may experience some mild side-effects. They are relatively common. It is an effective vaccine so they seem to be quite prone to cause these mild side-effects. You might get a bit of a fever or some aches and pains. If you experience a sore arm where the needle went in what those symptoms that is normal. You should contact your health professional if the side-effects persist after a few days or if they are severe or are concerned. You should go back to your regular GP or the health professional and convey what's happening. A big part of our understanding of how vaccines work and ongoing safety monitoring mechanisms that the TGA relies on you reporting the side-effects you are experiencing to your health professional.
If you don't get side-effects, it doesn’t mean that the vaccine is not effective. We are talking about how the side-effects are showing that your immune system is reacting but we don't want you to think that if you don't get the side-effects that your immune system doesn't. Except for a sore arm, I'm not feeling anything after my flu shot from a few days ago but that does not mean it is not working, it just means that how the body reacts and the immune system varies from person to person. As always, a vaccination is just another tool in the toolkit of behaviours we can have to support the public health response and remaining COVID-safe behaviours remains as important now as it was one year ago.
That is all for today. Thank you for watching and thank you Linda for interpreting and thank you for staying COVID-say. See you soon.
We are no longer displaying the ‘at a glance’ infographic on this page. Instead, you can view the daily infographics on the collection page.
Coronavirus (COVID-19) at a glance infographic collection
A collection of daily infographics providing a quick view of the coronavirus (COVID-19) situation in Australia each day since 5 April 2020.
Cases, active cases and deaths by state and territory
Locally and overseas acquired COVID-19 cases and deaths by states and territories
This table shows the number of locally or overseas acquired cases, active cases in the last 24 hours, and the total number of confirmed cases and deaths that have occurred in Australia.
State and territory totals reflect where a person has been tested and public health management occurred, which may differ from their normal place of residence.
The majority of total confirmed cases and deaths are from Victoria.
The number of confirmed cases and deaths reported in each state and territory since the first case was reported in late January 2020. State and territory totals reflect where a person has been tested and public health management occurred, which may differ from their normal place of residence.
As per the COVID-19 national guidelines, a COVID-19 confirmed case is a person who:
- tests positive to a validated specific SARS-CoV-2 nucleic acid test or
- has the virus isolated in cell culture, with PCR confirmation using a validated method or
- undergoes a seroconversion to or has a significant rise in SARS-CoV-2 neutralising or IgG antibody level (e.g. four-fold or greater rise in titre).
Probable and historical cases are currently included in the total number of cases reported by some jurisdictions, these are defined as per the COVID-19 national guidelines.
A COVID-19 death is defined for surveillance purposes as a death in a probable or confirmed COVID-19 case, unless there is a clear alternative cause of death that cannot be related to COVID19 (e.g. trauma). There should be no period of complete recovery from COVID-19 between illness and death. Where a Coroner’s report is available, these findings are to be observed.
The method used to estimate the number of active cases varies by jurisdiction.
Find out more about the current situation in your state or territory:
- Australian Capital Territory
- New South Wales
- Northern Territory
- Queensland
- South Australia
- Tasmania
- Victoria
- Western Australia
Daily reported cases
Daily and cumulative number of reported COVID-19 cases in Australia
This graph shows the total number of new COVID-19 cases in Australia reported each day by states and territories and the cumulative number of confirmed COVID-19 cases reported over time. These figures are collated and updated by 9 pm AEST each day and reflect the previous 24 hours.
This bar chart shows the newly confirmed COVID-19 cases by notification received date.
The line graph shows the cumulative number of newly confirmed COVID-19 cases by notification received date.
The horizontal axis shows the date of notification to state and territory health departments.
The vertical axis on the left shows the number of new COVID-19 cases, represented by the bars.
The vertical axis on the right shows the cumulative number of COVID-19 cases, represented by the line.
As per the COVID-19 national guidelines, a COVID-19 confirmed case is a person who:
- tests positive to a validated specific SARS-CoV-2 nucleic acid test or
- has the virus isolated in cell culture, with PCR confirmation using a validated method or
- undergoes a seroconversion to or has a significant rise in SARS-CoV-2 neutralising or IgG antibody level (e.g. four-fold or greater rise in titre).
The first cases of COVID-19 in Australia were identified in late January 2020. Following a peak of cases at the end of March, low numbers of cases were reported each day until early-June 2020. From mid-June 2020, cases increased and peaked in early August 2020 and then declined. Since late-September 2020, a low number of new cases continue to be reported each day.
Total COVID-19 cases in Australia by source of infection
Total COVID-19 cases in Australia by source of infection
This table shows the number of COVID-19 cases by source of infection for each state and territory, since the first case was reported. The table also shows the total number of cases and deaths by state and territory.
This table shows the number of COVID-19 cases by source of infection for each state and territory, since the first case was reported. The table also shows the total number of cases and deaths by state and territory.
The source of infection for confirmed cases of COVID-19 can be described as:
- overseas acquired – the person was infected while overseas (including at sea)
- locally acquired – known contact – the person was infected in Australia through contact with someone confirmed to have COVID-19
- locally acquired – unknown contact – the person was infected in Australia, but the source of infection is not known
- locally acquired –interstate travel – the person was infected in Australia, but not in the reporting jurisdiction
- under investigation – the source of infection has not yet been determined, but is currently being investigated through public health actions.
The majority of confirmed cases since late October have been overseas acquired.
The number of cases currently under investigation should ideally be as low as possible.
Knowing the source of infection assists in stopping the spread of COVID-19.
Cases and deaths by age and sex
COVID-19 cases by age group and sex
This graph shows the number of COVID-19 cases for males and females by age group since the first case was reported.
This bar chart shows the number of COVID-19 cases for males and females by age group since the first confirmed cases were reported in late January 2020.
The horizontal axis shows the age breakdown in 10-year intervals from zero years old to greater than 90 years old.
The vertical axis shows the number of COVID-19 cases.
As per the COVID-19 national guidelines, a COVID-19 confirmed case is a person who:
- tests positive to a validated specific SARS-CoV-2 nucleic acid test or
- has the virus isolated in cell culture, with PCR confirmation using a validated method or
- undergoes a seroconversion to or has a significant rise in SARS-CoV-2 neutralising or IgG antibody level (e.g. four-fold or greater rise in titre).
The proportion of COVID-19 cases in males and females is roughly equal, however the ratio does differ across the age groups presented.
Cases have been reported across all age groups. The majority of all cases are reported in those aged 20 to 59 years. The number of cases is highest in the 20–29 years age group.
COVID-19 deaths by age group and sex
This graph shows the number of COVID-19 associated deaths in Australia for males and females by age group since the first case was reported.
This bar chart shows the total number of COVID-19 associated deaths in Australia by age group and sex since the first confirmed cases were reported in late January 2020.
As per the COVID-19 national guidelines, a COVID-19 death is defined for surveillance purposes as a death in a probable or confirmed COVID-19 case, unless there is a clear alternative cause of death that cannot be related to COVID19 (e.g. trauma). There should be no period of complete recovery from COVID-19 between illness and death. Where a Coroner’s report is available, these findings are to be observed.
Deaths have been reported in those aged in their 20s to their 100s. The majority of deaths have been reported in people aged 70 years and over.
The horizontal axis shows the age breakdown in 10-year intervals from zero years old to greater than 90 years old.
The vertical axis shows the number of confirmed COVID-19 deaths.
Tests conducted and results
COVID-19 tests conducted in total in the last 7 days and results
This table shows the number of COVID-19 tests conducted in total and in the last 7 days, the rate of tests in the last 7 days per 100,000 population and the percentage that returned a positive result by state and territory and in Australia, since the first case was reported.
This table shows the number of tests conducted in Australia and in each state and territory, since the first case was reported in late January 2020 in total and in the last 7 days. This number is not reflective of the number of people that have been tested, but the total number of tests conducted, as individuals may have been tested multiple times. The data are based on information reported by states and territories.
Tests in the last 7 days per 100,000 population represent the number of tests conducted by each state and territory in the last 7 days as a rate of the number of people in the jurisdiction.
The testing positivity rate is also displayed. This positivity rate represents the proportion of all tests that have returned a positive result for COVID-19.
To date, over 13 million tests have been conducted nationally. Of those tests conducted, less than 1% have been positive.
Cases admitted to hospital
Current COVID-19 cases in hospitals and Intensive Care Units (ICUs)
This graph shows the number of COVID-19 cases currently admitted to hospital, including cases in ICUs, in Australia and each state and territory.
This chart shows the number of COVID-19 cases currently in hospital, including cases in ICU, in Australia and each state and territory.
Each bar represents those in ICU and those not in ICU by state and territory.
The horizontal axis shows the number of COVID-19 cases currently hospitalised.
The vertical axis shows the Australian total and each state and territory: ACT, NSW, NT, QLD, SA, TAS, VIC and WA.
This graph shows that on 13 April 2021, there were 63 people in hospital in Australia due to COVID-19. Of these two were in an Intensive Care Unit (ICU).
There were 54 cases in hospital in Queensland, with no cases in ICU.
There were three cases in hospital in New South Wales, one of these was in ICU.
There were four cases in hospital in the Northern Territory, with no cases in ICU.
There was one case in hospital in South Australia and that person was in ICU.
There was one case in hospital in Western Australia, with no cases in ICU.
There were no cases in hospital or in ICU in the ACT, Tasmania and Victoria.
Cases in aged care services
COVID-19 cases in aged care services – residential care
This graph shows the number of confirmed active COVID-19 cases, deaths and recovered cases, in Australia and each state and territory, for people living in Australian Government–subsidised residential aged care facilities.
This graph shows the number of confirmed cases, deaths and cases recovered since late January 2020 in those who receive Australian Government–subsidised residential care in each state and territory.
Residential care means people who live in an Australian Government–subsidised aged care facility.
Each bar represents the number of active cases, recovered cases and deaths.
The bottom axis shows the number of COVID-19 cases.
The vertical axis shows the Australian total and each state and territory: ACT, NSW, NT, QLD, SA, TAS, VIC and WA.
The majority of cases and deaths reported in residential care in Australia have occurred in Victoria.
COVID-19 outbreaks in Australian residential aged care facilities
Read the weekly report that provides a snapshot of data on the impact of COVID-19 in residential aged care facilities nationally.
The report includes data on the number of services impacted and number of staff and resident cases, as well as workforce, testing and PPE provided to affected services to support them.
COVID-19 cases in aged care services – in-home care
This graph shows the number of confirmed active COVID-19 cases, deaths and recovered cases, in Australia and each state and territory, for people receiving Australian Government–subsidised care in their own home.
The number of confirmed cases, deaths and cases recovered since late January 2020 in those who receive Australian Government–subsidised in-home care in Australia and in each state and territory.
In-home care means people who receive Australian Government subsidised care in their own home.
Each bar represents the number of active cases, recovered cases and deaths.
The bottom axis shows the number of COVID-19 cases.
The vertical axis shows the Australian total and each state and territory: ACT, NSW, NT, QLD, SA, TAS, VIC and WA.
The majority of cases reported in In-home care in Australia are in Victoria.
How Australia compares with the world
Learn more about the international situation from the World Health Organization (WHO). Read their weekly situation reports and check the WHO COVID-19 dashboard.