Australia ranks second in the world for coronavirus cases – so where did we go wrong?

Professor Michael Toole
Australia surrounded by COVID-19 concept

Australia’s elimination strategy during the first two years of the COVID-19 pandemic was one of the most effective in the world.

Through a combination of early border closures, widespread testing and meticulous contact-tracing, localised lockdowns and mask mandates, the number of reported cases was kept at around 28,000 in 2020.