That's a good question.
If I really think back, I can't recall very many cases where it was common practice. I can't think of any situations where a committee was receiving such regular updates. That doesn't mean, however, that it was never done. What I remember may just be a sign of my age and my diminishing mental faculties.
I should also point out that, prior to taking this position, I didn't pay as much attention to parliamentary proceedings as I do now. Nevertheless, providing updates to a House of Commons committee as the government was doing during the COVID-19 crisis was certainly not common practice before. I would say it's a fairly new practice.