WHO urges plane travellers consider masks
The XBB.1.5 version of the Omicron coronavirus variant is on the rise in the United States and Europe, according to the World Health Organisation.
virus diseases
Division over China travel test rule
Travellers arriving from China are required to show proof of a negative COVID-19 test after restrictions came into effect.
Deaths from virus spike amid call for calm
Australia's weekly COVID-19 data shows cases falling in Victoria and NSW while deaths rise, but health experts say it's too early for major concern.
Minister defends COVID travel advice snub
Mark Butler says he is taking an abundance of caution in requiring travellers from China to record a negative COVID-19 test despite advice against the measure.
Chinese state media plays down COVID wave
China has rejected criticism of its COVID data and its state media has called other nation's new curbs on Chinese traveller's "discriminatory".
Ministers chastised for health advice snub
Anne Ruston says the government is undermining Australians' trust in medical experts by inferring advice from the chief medical officer wasn't cautious enough.
No new variant but China under-reports:WHO
China is still reporting daily deaths from the recent wave of COVID in single figures, but WHO says they are under-representing the numbers.
COVID test required of arrivals from China
Travellers from China will need to undergo mandatory testing for COVID-19 before boarding a flight to Australia, the health minister has announced.
No change for Chinese travellers, yet: PM
The government hasn't changed its travel advice for China and is monitoring the situation after a handful of countries imposed COVID-19 restrictions overnight.
COVID travel curbs ‘discriminatory’: China
The latest wave of China's COVID infections is likely to reach its peak in the next two weeks, with an estimated 9000 people dying every day.
Fears mount over any China virus variants
Australian health authorities are being urged to keep a close eye on possible new COVID-19 variants coming out of China as cases spike.
Chinese travellers to face COVID tests
Travellers from China will need to undergo mandatory testing for COVID-19 before boarding a flight to Australia, the health minister has announced.
Alerts linger as COVID-19 hits NSW peak
Infections of COVID-19 are likely to fall in Australia's most populous state, NSW, but experts warn the national health emergency is far from over.
COVID wave nears pre-Christmas peak
Health Minister Mark Butler warns Australia's latest COVID-19 wave still has a way to go despite case numbers starting to plateau as Christmas approaches.
Hopes for end to pandemic in 2023
WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus says he is hopeful that the COVID-19 pandemic will no longer be considered a global emergency some time next year.
St Basil’s bosses ordered to give evidence
St Basil's Home for the Aged bosses have lost their challenge against giving evidence about the deaths of 50 residents during a COVID-19 outbreak.
COVID case rise slows, peak on horizon
Weekly COVID-19 infections have risen six per cent in the past week as new data shows Australia experienced higher-than-average deaths from January to August.
Beijing quiet as virus continues to impact
Cities, like Beijing, which were already battling severe COVID-19 outbreaks have seen a sharp fall in activity after regular testing rules were stopped.
Scarlet Fever alert follows UK deaths
Parents are warned to be alert but not alarmed following numerous deaths linked to children contracting Scarlet Fever in the United Kingdom.
PM to meet virtually with state colleagues
National cabinet is set to meet virtually after the in-person meeting was delayed when Prime Minister Anthony Albanese tested positive for COVID-19.
Health ‘not set up’ for long-COVID in kids
The NSW health system is not well organised to manage long-COVID cases among children, a federal parliamentary inquiry has been told.
COVID curbs ease across China after unrest
Lockdowns and restrictions have begun easing in some towns and districts as China prepares to announce revised COVID-19 quarantine rules.
COVID-19 cases rise across the nation
Weekly COVID-19 case numbers have jumped 20 per cent in NSW and Victoria with the latest wave of infections blamed on new Omicron sub-variants.
COVID protests grow in China’s Guangzhou
Protesters' clashes with police in Guangzhou have marked an escalation in rallies against China's strict COVID-19 rules.
China rails against zero-COVID policy
Anti-lockdown protests in China have flared up, with hundreds gathering in Shanghai and Beijing calling for an end to the hardline zero-COVID policy.
China authorities seek COVID-19 protesters
Simmering discontent with stringent COVID-19 prevention policies three years into the pandemic have ignited into broader protests in cities across China.
China’s lockdown protests spread abroad
Hundreds of people have gathered in cities around the world to show support for those in China protesting the hardline zero-COVID-19 government policy.
More China lockdowns amid virus record
China has reported its highest number of daily COVID-19 cases since the start of the pandemic began nearly three years ago.
Complacency over COVID-19 despite new wave
Most Australians have become complacent about COVID-19, believing the worst is over despite a new wave starting and different variants emerging.
COVID-19 cases soar amid fourth wave
COVID-19 cases are soaring across Australia as a fourth wave passes through and authorities begin urging people to mask up.
Bat behaviour sparks Hendra virus risk
An Australian study has revealed encroachment into the habitat of bats is driving them into agricultural areas, increasing the risk of Hendra virus spillover.