All EU/EEA Member States and the United Kingdom are seeing widespread community transmission of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) and have implemented extensive public health, societal and economic measures to flatten the epidemic curve and avert overload or collapse of their healthcare systems. This document proposes an updated strategy for COVID-19 surveillance at national and EU/EEA level that specifically aims to reconcile the data needs for effective pandemic response with what is still feasible in countries and within healthcare systems under siege, while taking into account guidance issued by the World Health Organization.