NSW respiratory surveillance

​​Latest surveillance summary

Influenza and COVID-19 are both at a low level of activity. RSV is at a moderate level of activity.

Epidemiological summary

Week ending 21 March 2026

​​​Influenza and COVID-19 both remained at a low level of activity. RSV activity continued to increase and is now at a moderate level.

Data sources and methods

NSW Health continually reviews the methods used to monitor respiratory virus activity in New South Wales. This is due to changes in testing, notification patterns and levels of respiratory virus, including COVID-19, in the community. These changes affect the usefulness of notifications for monitoring virus activity and community transmission over time. The Public Health, Rapid, Emergency and Syndromic Surveillance (PHREDSS) data, COVID-19 Wastewater Surveillance Program, Whole Genome Sequencing (WGS) data and the NSW Sentinel Laboratory Network results are currently of most value for monitoring COVID-19 and other respiratory viruses of importance in the community. Public registration of positive COVID-19 rapid antigen tests (RAT) in NSW ceased on 30 September 2023. NSW Health also monitors respiratory outbreaks in residential aged care homes.

The data source for this report updates as new information becomes available. Therefore, this report cannot be directly compared to previous versions of the NSW Respiratory Surveillance Report or to previous reporting periods. For additional information on the data sources and methods presented within this report, please refer to COVID-19 surveillance report data sources and methodology.


Current as at: Thursday 19 March 2026
Contact page owner: Epidemiology and Data Systems