Steven Rubic, the leader of the nation's second-largest private hospitals provider, hoped the worst of the coronavirus pandemic might be over. Restrictions were easing, elective surgery rates were gradually increasing and patients were feeling more confident about medical visits.

But on Thursday the Healthscope CEO had to hit the brakes again. As the outbreak in Victoria intensified, so did the flurry of meetings and urgent high-level calls. It culminated in the surprise announcement from the Andrews government that non-urgent elective surgery in metropolitan Melbourne would again be put on pause and private hospital procedures would be reduced to 75 per cent capacity.