Update - acute respiratory infection activity in Tasmania

This page presents a snapshot of current acute respiratory infection activity in Tasmania. 

Current activity is presented for acute respiratory illness and specific notifiable viruses, these are COVID-19, influenza, and RSV. Acute respiratory illness is an overall indicator and may be due to symptoms of various infections including COVID-19, influenza, RSV, Rhinovirus and others. Activity may be presented as low, moderate or high. 

While monitoring by Public Health Services is continuous, this page is updated weekly during increased seasonal influenza and RSV activity, and 4-weekly during inter-seasonal periods. Trend is provided as stable, increasing, decreasing or inter-seasonal. 

Understanding current activity of acute respiratory infections will help Tasmanians keep informed to understand what steps they can take to reduce the risk to themselves and others.

Friday 21 March 2025
Data as at Sunday 16 March 2025*

Learn more about what steps to take when activity is LOW 

What does this mean? As at 16 March, 2025: 

• Acute respiratory illness (ARI) activity in Tasmania is currently low and stable.
• COVID-19 activity is currently low and stable.
• While influenza activity is currently at inter-seasonal levels, activity is higher than expected for the same period in previous years, particularly in those aged 65 years and over.                   
• Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) activity is currently low at inter-seasonal levels.                         

Rhinovirus activity in recent weeks is higher than usual. 

*This page is updated 4-weekly, noting updates may be provided more frequently when there is a change in activity level.

For the latest RespTas report and Special focus report on pertussis   

Published by the Health Intelligence team, Communicable Diseases Prevention Unit, Public Health Services. 

Sources: Tasmanian Notifiable Diseases Surveillance System; FluTracking, Hunter New England Local Health District, New South Wales Ministry of Health; DSPL — Diagnostic Services Pty Ltd; RHH — Royal Hobart Hospital Pathology.