Dubbed the “First Movers COVID Group”, the coalition is led by Austria and is designed to allow the countries to compare notes and discuss strategies.
It also includes New Zealand, Denmark, Norway, Greece, the Czech Republic, Israel and Singapore.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison met via videoconference with the group’s leaders on Thursday night, ahead of today’s National Cabinet meeting with state premiers and chief ministers.
On the agenda was the reopening of schools, how to manage localised outbreaks, the importance of rigorous tracing and testing, and scientific cooperation.
Morrison was reportedly praised for the rollout of Australia’s COVIDSafe tracing app during the meeting.
The prime minister has been lobbying global leaders to support a motion to go to the World Health Assembly in mid-May calling for an investigation into the outbreak, to enable a better response to future pandemics.
The First Movers COVID Group will meet again next week.
