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.
virus diseases
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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 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.
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.
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.
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.
States vary approach to COVID-19 wave
As a fourth COVID-19 wave approaches, some jurisdictions are ramping up their response, while others hold the line on restrictions.
Qld entering fourth COVID-19 wave: premier
The Queensland premier says the COVID-19 alert level will rise from green to amber with state's fourth pandemic wave underway.
Virus-infected cruise ship docks in WA
West Australian authorities are confident a COVID-19 outbreak aboard the Coral Princess cruise liner is being safely managed after it docked in Fremantle.
Queensland scales back pandemic powers
Queensland has stripped pandemic powers from its chief health officer to shut the state's borders or mandate COVID-19 vaccinations for the general public.
Scrapped mandates to skew COVID case tally
Weekly COVID-19 numbers will not include all cases of the virus, with reporting of positive test results no longer mandatory in the two most populous states.
Aust scientists fear encephalitis outbreak
Australian scientists are extremely concerned about the risk of a major human outbreak of Japanese encephalitis and are flagging a potential vaccine shortfall.
Australian virus response ‘was over-reach’
Australia has been warned against the perils of over-reach when dealing with future health crises, following a critical review of the response to COVID-19.
How COVID exposed Aust data tracking flaws
Health experts reflect on what they've learned from the COVID-19 pandemic and how authorities can fix some of the flaws it exposed.
Australia’s 1000 dark days of COVID-19
Australia will soon mark 1000 days since it recorded its first COVID-19 case - and experts reflect on the life-altering crisis of the pandemic era.
Australia ends mandatory COVID isolation
It's no longer necessary for people with COVID-19 to isolate, with Australian authorities scrapping rules which have been in place for years.
Ruby Princess’s COVID-19 source disputed
Carnival and Princess Cruise Lines claim there was "a small, well-managed influenza outbreak" on the Ruby Princess before it set sail on its deadly cruise.
Ruby Princess companies reject COVID blame
Ruby Princess's operators were well aware a cruise was in jeopardy of a COVID-19 outbreak before it set sail and 28 people died, a class action trial has heard.
Renewed calls to close border with Indonesia over foot and mouth threat
Livestock transporters have told a senate hearing the border with Indonesia should be closed until foot and mouth is contained, but producers warn against it.