A surge in the number of COVID-19 cases detected in recent days has reportedly put the continued and much publicised easing of restrictions under some threat, but the numbers themselves warrant close examination.

More than half the new cases reported these past few days have been travellers returning from overseas who have entered compulsory quarantine, with an undetermined number of these unfortunate people destined ultimately for other states.

The fact they have been diagnosed whilst in mandatory quarantine here in Victoria is a far better scenario than to have allowed people to continue travelling to their home state, city or town, where they would undoubtedly unintentionally spread the dreaded virus further into the community.

And whilst the scaling back of restrictions is at this stage still scheduled to go ahead early next week, the continuing threats posed by the coronavirus highlights the need for all of us to remain diligent.

We cannot afford to relax social distancing practices, or to take anything about this pandemic for granted.

The changes due to be implemented from Monday still require a cap on the number of people frequenting hospitality venues, churches, gyms and other approved venues.

Those rules are there for our ultimate protection and wellbeing.

The other worrying fact is those cases not attributed to returning travellers, and the inevitable question arises as to to how these cases came to be, and who have the affected people been in contact with whilst they could have been contagious.

But if we haven't already reached the point where the impact of strict ongoing restrictions is causing more potential damage to our economy, to people's mental health, to businesses and to the community in general than the virus would itself otherwise, then we must be getting close.