Chief Medical Officer Professor Paul Kelly has denied the government has “lost track” of COVID-19 transmission, saying the virus is being monitored like any other infectious disease.

Epidemiologist Professor Adrian Esterman has claimed it is now difficult to gain an accurate national picture of infection waves because of the Federal Government’s “absolutely useless” COVID-19 website.

Data on COVID-19 hospitalisations were out of date, while states and territories reported different statistics, said Professor Esterman, a Professor of Biostatistics at the University of SA.

Given the lack of national figures, it was impossible to say with certainty whether Australia was in the grip of a “massive wave”, although most indicators suggested this, he said.