What Will Covid Look Like For Australia Heading Into Winter?

Two years into a global pandemic, and reports of people catching Covid twice is on the rise. 

With the emergence of the Omicron variant in late November 2021, the chances of getting the virus a second time around boiled down to its sneaky past defences built on old infections.

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However, waning immunity and evolving virus strains, could see the rates of re-infection jump about 10 times higher than what we saw earlier in the pandemic.

Yet, Australia’s current wave of Covid infections, is seeing even fewer people in hospital than what we saw in January, most likely due to a combination of vaccine rates and prior infections.

But epidemiologists and health experts warn rates of infection could continue to drive up as we head into the winter months with relaxed public health measures and the opening of international borders.

"We will get more waves of COVID-19, it is inevitable," said James McCaw, an epidemiologist at Melbourne University. "And we're starting to see, perhaps, the early signs that it's coming right now."

While, Professor Catherine Bennett, the chair of epidemiology at Deakin University warns we may not have to wait for winter to see an increase in cases, following weeks of rain along the east coast sending humidity up and sending people indoors. 

"This could be our winter coming now," she said. "It might be that winter itself is just a continuation of the same."

With that in mind, it's highly likely that Covid and influenza will be doing the rounds at the same time this winter.

So, as cooler nights set in, particularly in the southern states, people are being urged, especially those who are vulnerable, to get the flu shot, as well as ensuring their Covid vaccine booster doses are up to date.

Meanwhile, Covid cases and hospitalisations across Australia and New Zealand look like this: 

Western Australia 

• New cases: 9,727 
• Covid-related deaths: 3 
• Hospital and ICU admissions: 219 / 7  

Northern Territory 

• New cases: TBA 
• Covid-related deaths: TBA 
• Hospital and ICU admissions: TBA

Australian Capital Territory 

• New cases: 1,194   
• Covid-related deaths: 2 
• Hospital and ICU admissions: 47 / 3

Queensland 

• New cases: 7,289
• Covid-related deaths: 5
• Hospital and ICU admissions: 362 / 16

New South Wales 

• New cases: 22,1075
• Covid-related deaths: 17
• Hospital and ICU admissions: 1,326 / 39 

Victoria 

• New cases: 11,292
• Covid-related deaths: 4 
• Hospital and ICU admissions:312 / 14 

South Australia 

• New cases: 5,061
• Covid-related deaths: 0
• Hospital and ICU admissions: 175 / 8 

Tasmania 

• New cases: 2,478
• Covid-related deaths: 0
• Hospital and ICU admissions: 29 / 0

New Zealand 

• New cases: 15,250
• Covid-related deaths: 22
• Hospital and ICU admissions: 830 / 26

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