Nikhil Prasad Fact checked by:Thailand Medical News Team Oct 17, 2026 43 minutes ago
COVID-19 continues to circulate across Australia in October 2026, with the latest official surveillance reports confirming that the virus is still causing infections, emergency department visits and hospitalizations, particularly among elderly Australians. Although overall infection levels remain relatively low in several states, emerging increases in laboratory positivity rates and continued hospital admissions indicate that SARS-CoV-2 remains a persistent public health concern.
COVID-19 continues to circulate across Australia, with official surveillance reports documenting ongoing infections and
hospitalizations, particularly among elderly individuals.
Recent surveillance findings from New South Wales, Queensland, Western Australia, Victoria and the Australian Capital Territory reveal varying patterns of COVID-19 activity. While some jurisdictions are reporting declining or stable case numbers, others are experiencing modest increases in infections or test positivity.
These differences highlight the unpredictable nature of COVID-19 transmission and the importance of maintaining surveillance even when the virus is no longer dominating public health headlines.
This
Thailand Medical News report examines the latest available official surveillance findings from Australian health authorities, including the Australian Centre for Disease Control, NSW Health, Queensland Health, ACT Health, Western Australia's Virus Watch surveillance program and Victoria's Department of Health.
National Surveillance Confirms Thousands of COVID-19 Infections
Australia's national respiratory surveillance data continues to demonstrate that COVID-19 remains an established contributor to respiratory illness across the country.
According to the Australian Respiratory Surveillance Report covering 21 September to 4 October 2026, a total of 2,902 laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 notifications were recorded nationally during the two-week reporting period.
Although this represented a decline compared with the preceding reporting period, the figures confirm that SARS-CoV-2 continues to circulate within Australian communities.
Importantly, laboratory-confirmed notifications no longer provide a complete picture of actual infections. Changes in testing behavior, reduced routine testing and the widespread use of home-based rapid antigen tests mean that many infections are not captured by official notification systems.
Consequently, the true number of infections occurring across Australia is likely considerably higher than the officially reported figures.
Health authorities therefore continue to assess COVID-19 activity through multiple surveillance indicators, including laboratory positivity rates, hospital admissions and emergency department presentations.
Queensland Reports Hospitalizations Concentrated Among Older Adults
Queensland's latest Acute Respiratory Infection Surveillance Report, covering 5 to 11 October 2026, recorded 244 COVID-19 notifications.
A hospital census conducted
on 11 October identified 16 patients hospitalized with COVID-19, with the overwhelming majority aged 75 years or older.
These findings reinforce the disproportionate impact that COVID-19 continues to have on elderly individuals, even during periods when overall community transmission is relatively low.
Queensland's year-to-date surveillance data also indicates that older adults continue to account for a substantial proportion of COVID-19-related hospital admissions.
Individuals aged 65 years and above remain particularly vulnerable to complications because of age-related changes in immune function, underlying chronic diseases and other factors that can increase the likelihood of severe outcomes.
The continuing presence of older COVID-19 patients in hospitals demonstrates that declining case notifications should not automatically be interpreted as the disappearance of serious disease.
Western Australia Records Rising Cases and Continued Hospital Burden
Western Australia's Virus Watch surveillance report for the week ending 11 October 2026 identified a 5.1 percent increase in reported COVID-19 cases.
The state's laboratory test positivity rate stood at 2.2 percent, indicating ongoing viral circulation.
More importantly, COVID-19 hospitalizations averaged approximately 30 patients per day during the reporting period.
Although these figures do not indicate a major resurgence, they demonstrate that COVID-19 continues to place demands on healthcare services.
Even relatively modest levels of community transmission can result in hospital admissions, particularly when infections occur among elderly individuals or people with significant underlying medical conditions.
Western Australia's findings also illustrate why hospitalization trends remain an important measure of disease burden alongside reported case numbers.
New South Wales Detects Increasing Test Positivity
In New South Wales, the respiratory surveillance report covering the week ending 10 October 2026, released on 15 October, documented 459 COVID-19 notifications.
While NSW Health characterized overall COVID-19 activity as low, sentinel laboratory positivity increased to 2.5 percent.
This rise suggests that SARS-CoV-2 transmission remains active and may be fluctuating despite relatively modest notification numbers.
Emergency department presentations and hospital admissions associated with COVID-19 also continued during the reporting period.
Sentinel laboratory positivity is particularly useful because it measures the proportion of tested respiratory specimens that are positive for a particular pathogen. Changes in this indicator can provide additional information about transmission trends when routine community testing has declined.
However, positivity rates must be interpreted alongside testing volumes, clinical presentations and hospitalization data rather than being treated as direct measurements of infection prevalence.
Victoria Reports Stable COVID-19 Activity While ACT Continues Recording Cases
Victoria's fortnightly respiratory surveillance update released on 16 October 2026 described COVID-19 activity as stable.
The reported laboratory positivity rate was 1.8 percent, suggesting relatively low levels of detected transmission during the surveillance period.
Nevertheless, continued detection of SARS-CoV-2 confirms that the virus remains present within the community.
Meanwhile, the Australian Capital Territory recorded 23 COVID-19 notifications during the week of 9 to 15 October 2026.
These additional infections brought the territory's cumulative notifications for 2026 to 1,253.
Although the ACT figures are relatively small in absolute terms, they contribute to the broader national picture of persistent COVID-19 transmission across multiple jurisdictions.
Taken together, the latest state and territory reports show that Australia is not experiencing a uniform COVID-19 trend. Instead, transmission levels vary geographically, with some regions showing modest increases while others remain stable or report declining notifications.
Elderly Australians Continue to Face the Greatest Risks
One of the most consistent findings across Australian COVID-19 surveillance reports is the continuing vulnerability of older adults.
Hospitalization data from Queensland and other jurisdictions indicate that people aged 65 years and older remain disproportionately affected by severe COVID-19 outcomes.
The concentration of hospitalizations among older age groups is particularly significant because the overall number of reported infections is now much lower than during major pandemic waves.
For vulnerable individuals, however, even limited community transmission can result in serious illness requiring hospital treatment.
Older adults with cardiovascular disease, diabetes, chronic respiratory conditions, impaired immunity or multiple underlying medical conditions may face additional risks following SARS-CoV-2 infection.
These observations reinforce the importance of maintaining appropriate preventive measures, timely clinical assessment and vaccination protection among higher-risk populations.
Reduced Public Reporting of Aged Care Outbreaks Raises Surveillance Concerns
Another important development affecting Australia's COVID-19 surveillance landscape is the discontinuation of weekly national public reporting on outbreaks in residential aged care facilities.
The Australian Government ended publication of its routine weekly aged care COVID-19 outbreak snapshots from 1 January 2026.
Previously, these reports provided regular public information about outbreaks affecting residential aged care facilities, where residents are particularly vulnerable to severe respiratory infections.
Although aged care providers remain responsible for implementing infection prevention and outbreak management procedures, the discontinuation of these public reports has reduced the availability of regularly published national outbreak information.
This reporting change should not be mistaken for evidence that COVID-19 no longer poses a threat to residential aged care populations.
Rather, it means that one previously available source of public surveillance information is no longer routinely published.
Continued infection prevention, early identification of symptomatic residents and appropriate clinical management remain important for protecting vulnerable aged care populations.
COVID-19 Does Not Follow a Predictable Seasonal Pattern
Unlike influenza, which generally demonstrates more recognizable seasonal patterns in Australia, COVID-19 can experience fluctuations in transmission at different times of the year.
SARS-CoV-2 activity is influenced by multiple factors, including population immunity, the circulation of different viral variants, changes in social contact patterns and the gradual waning of immune protection.
Consequently, periods of relatively low transmission do not guarantee that infections will remain suppressed.
This unpredictable behavior is one reason Australian health authorities continue to include COVID-19 within broader respiratory pathogen surveillance systems alongside influenza and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV).
Laboratory testing, hospital admission trends and other surveillance measures help authorities identify changes in viral activity and assess potential impacts on healthcare services.
The modest increases observed in some October surveillance indicators do not, by themselves, establish that Australia is entering another major COVID-19 wave. However, they demonstrate why ongoing monitoring remains necessary.
People at increased risk of severe disease may also benefit from prompt medical assessment when symptoms develop, as some treatments are most effective when initiated early in the course of infection.
Individuals experiencing respiratory symptoms are encouraged to take appropriate precautions to reduce transmission, especially when interacting with elderly relatives, aged care residents or people with compromised immune systems.
The continued circulation of SARS-CoV-2 means that preventive measures remain relevant even when national surveillance indicators suggest relatively low overall activity.
Conclusion
The latest official surveillance reports from across Australia demonstrate that COVID-19 remains an ongoing respiratory health concern in October 2026.
National data recorded 2,902 confirmed infections over the fortnight ending 4 October, while more recent state-level reports documented continuing infections, hospital admissions and fluctuations in laboratory positivity rates.
Queensland's hospitalization figures highlight the disproportionate burden among older adults, while Western Australia's continuing daily hospital census and increasing notifications demonstrate that SARS-CoV-2 continues to affect healthcare services.
New South Wales has also reported rising laboratory positivity despite relatively low overall activity, while Victoria and the ACT continue to document ongoing viral circulation.
Although these findings do not suggest a nationwide emergency or a major new wave, they confirm that COVID-19 has not disappeared and continues to pose meaningful risks to vulnerable populations.
The broader public health challenge is therefore not simply identifying large outbreaks, but ensuring that persistent lower-level transmission does not result in preventable severe illness and hospitalizations among those most at risk.
All surveillance figures reflect official reporting available as of mid-October 2026 and may be revised as additional data become available.
References
Australian Centre for Disease Control – Australian Respiratory Surveillance Reports
https://www.cdc.gov.au/
NSW Health – Respiratory Surveillance Reports
https://www.health.nsw.gov.au/Infectious/covid-19/Pages/reports.aspx
Queensland Health – Acute Respiratory Infection Surveillance
https://www.health.qld.gov.au/
Western Australia Department of Health – Virus Watch
https://www.health.wa.gov.au/
Victoria Department of Health – Respiratory Surveillance
https://www.health.vic.gov.au/
ACT Health – COVID-19 Surveillance
https://www.health.act.gov.au/
Australian Government Department of Health, Disability and Ageing – COVID-19 Vaccination and Aged Care Information
https://www.health.gov.au/
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