National Covid Coordination Commission to connect public and private sectors

A new commission established today by Prime Minister Scott Morrison will seek to connect the public and corporate sectors in Australia to help manage the ongoing Covid-19 crisis.

Headed up by Neville Power (pictured), the former CEO of Fortescue Metals Group and current chairman of Perth Airport and the Royal Flying Doctors Service of Australia, the National Covid Coordination Commission will advise the Government on how Australia's companies can assist the public sector's effort in a variety of ways.

The board of the Commission includes:

• Greg Combet (former Australian politician and trade unionist)
• Jane Holton (former head of the Australian Finance Department)
• Paul Little (former head of Toll Holdings)
• Catherine Turner (the head of Energy Australia)
• David Thody (the chair of the CSIRO and former head of Telstra)
• Phil Gaetjens (the secretary of Prime Minister and Cabinet)
• and Mike Pezzullo (the secretary of the Home Affairs Department)

"Whether it's ensuring we get food to supermarkets, and ensure the supply lines remain open there and the trucks can rollout when they need to rollout...these are the many challenges that we need to face," says PM Morrison.

Elective surgeries cancelled

The Prime Minister's National Cabinet has also decided today that from Midnight 25th March all elective surgeries will be suspended in public and private hospitals.

Category one elective surgeries and urgent category two elective surgeries will be exempt from the suspension.

"The cancellation of elective surgery will allow for the preservation of resources including personal protective equipment and allow health services provided to the public to prepare for their role for the Covid-19 outbreak," says PM Morrison.

Updated at 12:38am AEDT on 25 March 2020.