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Several types of elective surgery, dental procedures and IVF will resume next week as Australia begins the road out from coronavirus restrictions.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison said the decision to allow 25 per cent of operations to restart marked a step towards normal life.  

But, in a sign that normality is still far away, beachgoers in Sydney's east were yelled at by lifeguards to 'keep swimming' because they are only allowed to use the beach for exercise and can face $1,000 fines if police catch them milling around.   

In a sign that normality is still far away, beachgoers in Sydney's east were yelled at by lifeguards to 'keep swimming' because they are only allowed in the water and on the sand for exercise

Hundreds of people flocked to Coogee Beach on Tuesday, the first sunny day since it was reopened after a three week shutdown because of coronavirus restrictions

Hundreds flocked to Coogee Beach on Tuesday to enjoy the 23C heat and make the most of the re-opened beaches

Several beachgoers were seen on the sand and in the water for exercise but were told not to mill around after their swims 

Lifeguards were repeatedly required to make announcements along the beach, telling those on the sand not to sunbake - and everyone in the water they had to be swimming

Hundreds of people flocked to Coogee Beach on Tuesday, the first sunny day since it was reopened after a three week shutdown because of coronavirus restrictions.

Fences now leave beachgoers with just two exits and entrances onto the sand, while dozens of 'exercise only' signs along the promenade leave people in little doubt over what activities are allowed.

The majority of beachgoers were doing the right thing and left the beach after taking exercise rather than hanging around. 

But lifeguards made announcements along the beach, telling those on the sand not to sunbake and everyone in the water that they had to be swimming.

'We do not consider it essential exercise to just congregate in the water,' a Randwick City Council lifeguard announced.

'Please exercise, start swimming, don't just stand around in the water.'

The majority of residents were doing the right thing and were seen running on the sand or swimming in the clear water

Hundreds of Australians took the opportunity to use the beach for exercise and were seen swimming in the water

The majority of beachgoers were doing the right thing and left the beach after taking exercise rather than hanging around

Residents in New South Wales can face $1,000 fines if police catch them milling around. Pictured: Two women sit on grass at Sydney's Coogee Beach

Fences now leave beachgoers with just two exits and entrances onto the sand. Pictured: A woman on the grass at Coogee Beach

All varities of people - from young groups of women to senior gentlemen - enjoyed exercising on the beach for the first time since it was re-opened

Among the revellers enjoying the sun were two stand up paddle-boarders who made their way in between the swimmers

Children played on body boards in the small waves while women went for their daily swims at Coogee Beach in Sydney

Most beachgoers were correctly using the sand for exercise, such as this couple who played bat and ball

The lifeguards warned that beach may have to be closed again if residents did not abide by the rules.

'We want to keep the beach open, please don't ruin it for everyone else. It's not just about you, it's about the whole community.

'If you don't start doing the right thing we will have to close the beach. Lifeguards do not want to do that, the council does not want to do that, but these are the measures we will take.

'Remember why we are doing this - it is to stop the spread of this virus.' 

Several types of elective surgery will resume next week as Australia begins the road out from coronavirus restrictions, Scott Morrison (pictured) announced today

IVF and screening programs, dental procedures, post cancer operations such as breast reconstruction, eye procedures, joint replacements and all surgery for children under 18 will all be allowed to go ahead from Monday. 

Those procedures represent about a quarter of elective surgery and the National Cabinet will review the rules again on May 11 to see if even more can be allowed.  

Announcing the restarting of elective surgery, Mr Morrison said: 'This is an important decision because it marks another step on the way back. 

'There is a road ahead and the decisions that the National Cabinet has taken today is evidence of that.'

Chief Medical Officer Professor Brendan Murphy said elective surgery is 'incredibly important and some of it is life saving.' 

Mr Morrison also said that the National Cabinet had been advised that smaller class sizes could help keeps schools safe when pupils return.

New South Wales officials announced this morning that pupils will go back to school for one day a week from 11 May. 

Queensland schools reopened this week but only for the children of essential workers who need to work outside the home, vulnerable children who are best off outside the home, and children who do not have the technology to complete distance learning.

Other students were encouraged to continue to study from home on an ongoing basis.

Victoria had the most hardline policy on school closures, with campuses to be open for those that need it but no likelihood of allowing students back en masse at least until the end of term two.

The Prime Minister said data collected by a contact tracing app set to be rolled out next week could not be accessed by the Commonwealth.

'The app only collects data and puts it into an encrypted national store which can only be accessed by the states and territories,' he said,

Despite the restarting of surgery, Mr Morrison said social distancing measures need to stay in place and used the example of Singapore, which has had a recent spike in cases, to show that further outbreaks are likely.  

Mr Morrison also repeated calls for in independent inquiry into the origins of coronavirus after China said it was not necessary.

'I think such an inquiry is important and we can respectively have a difference of view from the one that has been put forward by China,' he said. 

A Chinese academic has accused Australia of joining the US on a 'crusade' against China. Pictured: An employee spraying disinfectant at a factory in Wuhan on 25 March

People crowd to buy meat and fish at Khlong Toei wet market in Thailand. The virus is thought to have begun in Wuhan's wet market and there are calls for wet markets to be banned

On Thursday US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo demanded that China 'come clean' after unsubstantiated reports that coronavirus may have originated in a lab in Wuhan.

Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton on Friday demanded that China 'answer those questions' before foreign affairs minister Marise Payne called for an inquiry.

Chen Hong, director of the Australian Studies Centre at the East China Normal University, said Australian politicians were engaged in a 'smear campaign' against China. 

'It is deplorable that Australia is joining this anti-China crusade that will further damage the bilateral relations, a consequence that we in both countries don't want to see,' he was quoted as saying in the AFR. 

Communist Party politicians normally approve academics' comments before they are released. 

Coogee, Clovelly, Maroubra and Malabar beaches were reopened by Randwick City Council on Monday morning, following their closure on March 28.

The decision to shut the beaches came after shocking scenes at nearby Bondi Beach where thousands of locals and tourists crammed onto the beach in late March on an unseasonably hot 34C day.

Bondi, and all beaches within the neighbouring Waverley Council, remain shut, but Randwick mayor Danny Said he acted in the public interest. 

'Living along the coast, I know how important our beaches are to the mental and physical health of so many in the community,' Mr Said explained.

'The past three weeks have been difficult as we've all had to make changes and sacrifices to our daily routines.

'Our decision to close the beaches three weeks ago was not taken lightly and factored in the risk of coronavirus spread, particularly given the concentration of COVID-19 cases in the eastern suburbs area along with the popularity of our beaches. 

Mayor Said was confident residents would be enjoy the beaches for exercise while keeping their distance from others and not lounging around on the sand before or after their swims.

'Our beaches are not open to general use and can only be accessed for exercise. Activities such as sitting on the sand, sun-baking or gathering in groups will not be permitted and council staff and police will be enforcing these restrictions,' he said.

'I urge everybody to do the right thing and practice social distancing while exercising so that we can maintain access for exercise purposes and get through this difficult period together.' 

Police, lifeguards and council workers were patrolling the beach at various times, telling those who were not working out to move on

Sings were placed along the sand at Coogee outlining social distancing requirements, such as the need for people to gather in groups of no more than two and stay at least 1.5 metres apart

While some threatened to 'ruin it for everyone' others were doing the right thing, by exercising on the foreshore in pairs