This interim report sets out the Senate Select Committee on COVID-19's early findings on the government's response to COVID-19.

This report focuses on some of the major issues arising from the first eight months of COVID-19 in Australia. It is not intended to provide an exhaustive examination of the many issues raised with the committee in written submissions, correspondence and hearings. The committee may choose to revisit some of these issues and report on them in greater detail throughout the inquiry period.

The committee is due to present its final report by 30 June 2022, but also intends to present interim reports like this one over the course of its inquiry. The pace and nature of the inquiry will reflect the evolution of the pandemic and the government's response. The committee's intentions for the future of its inquiry are discussed further in Chapter 8.

While Australia has fared better than many other parts of the world so far, the COVID-19 pandemic is not over. The committee will continue to scrutinise the government's response to the pandemic and encourage a strong recovery that is fair, inclusive and does not leave people behind.

Key recommendations:

• The committee recommends that the Australian Government commission an independent review into expenditure on, and design of, the COVIDSafe app.
• The committee recommends that the Australian Government establish an Australian Centre for Disease Control to improve Australia's pandemic preparedness, operational response capacity and communication across different levels of government.
• The committee recommends that the Australian Government monitor the economic impact of reducing the Coronavirus Supplement and report back to the Senate with any data on the impact of the reductions.
• The committee recommends that the Australian Government permanently raise the rate of JobSeeker at the Mid-Year Economic and Fiscal Outlook or in the 2021–22 Budget.