Elective surgeries and IVF could soon resume, with the National Cabinet appearing set to sign off on a plan within the week.

Key points: National Cabinet will consider elective surgery and IVF this week

National Cabinet will consider elective surgery and IVF this week Cancellations were imposed in March amid fears coronavirus would overwhelm hospitals

Cancellations were imposed in March amid fears coronavirus would overwhelm hospitals The arrival of millions of face masks has allowed the surgeries to resume

Federal Health Minister Greg Hunt said elective surgeries and IVF were cancelled last month to keep hospital beds free amid fears coronavirus would put unprecedented demand on the healthcare system.

He said National Cabinet would likely sign off on a resumption of elective surgeries and IVF when the Prime Minister, premiers and chief ministers meet this week.

"I am hopeful that during the course of this week, the medical expert panel and the National Cabinet will be in a position to make decisions and give guidance for the future," Mr Hunt said.

"National Cabinet is meeting on Tuesday and so I'm hopeful, whether it is Tuesday or the subsequent meeting on the Thursday, that they will be in a position to indicate that the states have confidence [to allow a resumption of elective surgeries].

"The stopping elective surgery decision was made on two grounds, one was PPE (personal protective equipment), of which masks were critical. The second was the concern that if the coronavirus had grown dramatically our hospitals would have been under intense pressure."

A shortage of masks was one of the reasons elective surgery was put on hold. ( Supplied: TASS )

Mr Hunt said 60 million face masks had been added to the national stockpile, 22 million of which have been distributed.

Another 100 million masks are due to arrive in Australia in the next six weeks.

Australia has carried out more than 411,000 tests for the deadly coronavirus.

As of 10:00am AEST on Sunday, Mr Hunt said there had been 69 deaths in Australia. He said there were 51 people in intensive care units, including 33 people on ventilators.

"That still is 33 people on ventilators and is a significant amount, but dramatically less than anybody had been predicting or warning at this stage," Mr Hunt said.

Australia's economy has largely been shuttered since National Cabinet imposed shutdowns throughout the community.

The leaders have urged Australians to stay home unless the need to leave is essential.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison on Thursday said the shutdowns would remain in place for at least another four weeks.

"The rate of increase in new cases has been below 1 per cent for seven consecutive days now, and that is an important national achievement," Mr Hunt said.

"What it means is we now have a sustained and genuine flattening of the curve.

"There is more work to be done. 53 cases in the last 24 hours, admittedly some of them within the quarantine hotels, says we have to maintain what we are doing, but what we are doing is working."