COVID-19, Australia: Epidemiology Report 18: Fortnightly reporting period ending 7 June 2020

Abstract

Notified cases of COVID-19 and associated deaths reported to the National Notifiable Diseases Surveillance System (NNDSS) to 7 June 2020. Confirmed cases in Australia notified up to 7 June 2020: notifications = 7,277; deaths = 102. Over the past fortnightly reporting period, the number of new cases in all jurisdictions continues to decline, or remain very low, and testing rates continue to be high across all jurisdictions, with the positivity rate remaining very low at less than 0.1%. The incidence of COVID-19 has markedly reduced since a peak in mid-March. A combination of early case identification, physical distancing, public health measures and a reduction in international travel have been effective in slowing the spread of disease in Australia. Of the 147 cases notified between 25 May and 7 June, 63% acquired their infection overseas. The proportion of cases locally acquired has dropped substantially to 28% of new cases this period compared with 50% and greater observed since 30 March 2020. Of the cases considered to be locally-acquired over this period, most were associated with contacts of confirmed cases or were associated with known outbreaks. A small proportion of overall cases have experienced severe disease, requiring hospitalisation or intensive care with some fatalities. The crude case fatality rate amongst Australian cases is 1.4%. People who are older and have one or more comorbidities are more likely to experience severe disease. The highest rate of COVID-19 continues to be among people aged 65–79 years. Three-quarters of all cases in this age group have been associated with overseas travel, including several outbreaks linked to cruise ships. The lowest rate of disease is in children under 18, a pattern reflected in international reports. Internationally, as of 7 June 2020, the largest numbers of both cases and deaths have been reported in the United States. Of the confirmed cases reported globally, the case fatality rate is approximately 5.8%. Countries in South America are seeing rapid growth in case numbers, while the United States is seeing a steady decline in its daily new case numbers. Case numbers in Europe remain relatively steady, with several countries in Eastern Europe experiencing rapid growth. In the South East Asia region, India and Bangladesh are seeing accelerating epidemics, compounded by the recovery from Cyclone Amphan. Reported cases are increasing in Africa, although the numbers are much smaller. In the Pacific there are few new cases reported daily.