Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) epidemiology reports, Australia, 2022–2023

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Read this first: answers to frequently asked questions about the reports

Q: Where can I find more detailed data on COVID-19 cases?

A: We are currently looking into ways to provide more in-depth epidemiological analyses of COVID-19 cases, with regard to transmission and severity, including hospitalisation. These analyses will continue to be built upon in future iterations of the CDI report.

Q: Can I request access to the COVID-19 data behind your CDI reports?

A: National notification data on COVID-19 confirmed cases is collated in the National Interoperable Notifiable Diseases Surveillance System (NINDSS) based on notifications made to state and territory health authorities under the provisions of their relevant public health legislation.

Normally, requests for the release of data from the NINDSS requires agreement from states and territories via the Communicable Diseases Network Australia (CDNA), and, depending on the sensitivity of the data sought and proposed, ethics approval may also be required.

For information on how to apply to access data from the NINDSS please contact the NINDSS Data Requests inbox (nndss.datarequests@health.gov.au). We can then provide you with further information about the process and the required data request forms. Please note data requests for NINDSS data, including COVID-19 data, will continue to be processed in line with CDNA policies and procedures. The time it takes to process your request may vary depending on the type(s) of data you request and the necessary approval steps.

We will continue to publish regular summaries and analyses of the NINDSS dataset and recommend the following resources be referred to in the meantime:

• NINDSS summary tables;
• Weekly case summary of cases
• Communicable Diseases Intelligence COVID-19 epidemiology report;
• State and territory public health websites.

Q: Can I request access to data at postcode level of confirmed cases?

A: Data at this level cannot be released without ethics approval and permission would need to be sought from all states and territories via CDNA. As noted above, specific requests for NINDSS data are currently on hold.

Where current or recent reported case numbers are high enough to justify it, a GIS/mapping analysis of cases will be included in the CDI COVID-19 epidemiology report. In order to protect privacy of confirmed cases, data in this map will be presented at SA3 level.

Q: Where do I find the COVID-19 background information which was included as Appendix A in previous epidemiology reports?

A: This information was most recently published in Epidemiology Report 24 (Word 3.47 MB) (PDF 7.35 MB). Additional information can be found in the CDNA Series of National Guidelines (SoNG) for COVID-19.