It's quite the select club, though it could do with a snappier name: the First Movers COVID Group.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Among the members are Denmark, Norway, Greece, the Czech Republic, Israel, Singapore, New Zealand and Australia.
These are the countries acted quickly to control the spread of COVID-19 and have been very successful in containing the virus.
By all accounts much of last night's meeting was spent discussing not just the importance of tracing and testing for the virus, managing localised outbreaks and scientific cooperation, but the measures involved in reopening economies. It is a question much of the world is struggling with right now.
For instance, Singapore, due to the very make-up of its population, is now dealing with not a second wave but a third glut of infections.
Singapore efficiently dealt with the initial two waves, which came first from China, and then from Singaporeans returning from abroad. The third wave has taken hold among migrants - who make up more than a quarter of the 5.6 million population.
Many work in construction and live in dormitory-like warehouses with multiple people in rooms. More than 20 such facilities have been isolated but consider that one building alone houses 13,000 and you get an idea of the problem's scale.
So while Australia will later today hear from PM Morrison about "what next", sorting through the invite list for that big weekend catch-up will probably have to wait a little longer.
Just as it is in the UK where politicians have warned the soon-to-be-announced easing of restrictions will be "modest, small, incremental and very carefully monitored".
And just as likely will be the case here, in many countries rifts at the different between levels of government are emerging over how fast to lift the lid on lockdowns.
Spain, Italy, Germany, Russia and, of course, the US, are internally butting heads on how best to find that balance.
Did you know you can receive this digest twice a day by email. Sign up here.
The news you need to know
- Leaders meet to draw up virus roadmap
- Southern man becomes 225th Tasmanian with COVID-19
- Silos hand sanitiser a real bottler
- No time for complacency, expert says as active case numbers released
- Hot-desk or hot mess? Will hot-desking survive COVID-19?
- 'We can't continue to live our lives in lockdown': ACT to loosen restrictions
- A consequence of COVID-19: Beer demand goes flat
- Funeral directors, clubs, pubs call for easing of COVID-19 restrictions