Monday, March 16 marked the historic declaration of a state of emergency by premier Daniel Andrews, an announcement that set the state on a dramatic course of events that may have appeared harsh, but which likely saved countless lives and helped shorten the time we would ultimately spend in lockdown due to the coronavirus.
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And now, after some of the most difficult, challenging, confronting and even inspiring moments, we appear to have overcome the worst of the pandemic.
We haven't won - yet, and there's plenty of difficult moments and decisions ahead for us all, but as a nation we do seem to have dodged a bullet.... so far.
The state of emergency meant companies that may once have been reluctant to embrace the concept of having staff work from home suddenly had no choice but to do exactly that.
And staff have risen to the occasion.
From a news perspective, there have been many highlights of the pandemic, and sadly, not all of them have been good.
We've witnessed and shared the despair of business owners forced to lay off staff and shut up shop, the gut wrenching scenes of the long queues that formed outside Centrelink daily, snaking their way along the footpath as hundreds of local people, people we all know, were forced to put their hand out for a hand up, through no fault of their own.
Images of a near-desolate CBD at the height of the pandemic will haunt me for a long time yet.
The way this city has rallied around its business community and the way businesses have sought to adapt to COVID-19 has been something we should all be incredibly proud of. That steadfast refusal to give in or give up is the stuff of legends.
Long days loaded with some incredible stress points and a rapidly evolving series of unprecedented situations none of us could ever have anticipated testing not just the resolve of our community, but also our belief in ourselves, and in one another.
The loss of so many important community celebrations and events might have felt devastating to us all at the time, but the truth is they will all be back.
Easter in Bendigo without the Easter celebrations we all love was hollow at best.
Not having family home to share such a sacred time was even more confronting.
The absence of the traditional ANZAC Day service saw thousands of us turn to our own alternative commemorations from home.
For families grieving the loss of a loved one, there's been the almost unthinkable cruelty of being unable to say goodbye properly due to restrictions on attendees at funerals.
The loss of some winter sports has been another stumbling block, but one we couldn't avoid.
On the plus side, the response from the health sector to this crisis has been more than just life-saving.
The professionalism, expertise and preparedness of the medical fraternity has undoubtedly saved lives, but it also saved the rest of us from ever giving in to the doubt that has lingered about the ability of the community to cope and work its way through COVID-19.
At a time where there have been many heroes, the ultimate irony is we cannot hug or high five those we owe so much.
And now, as we look to shake off the worst of the pandemic and take tentative steps forward in our recovery, it's never been more important that we support one another, and be prepared to bend with the breeze if it means helping someone else.
More than anything, COVID-19 has given us all a newfound appreciation for the things we love, but have been unable to do at varying times these past few months... A walk in the park, a visit to the shops, the gym, the local café, a friend's place or a weekend away.
It's reinforced the importance of our mental health, and taught us new ways to look after ourselves, and one another. And most of all, it's given us a deeper sense of love for the people we have all missed so dearly during the past 100 days.
We must be patient in the weeks and months ahead. Social distancing will be with us for a long time yet, and the coronavirus will likely be lurking for a while.
The time is coming where we will be able to once again spend more of that most valuable commodity - time, with the people we care for and about the most, doing more of the things we love most of all.
We should use this time wisely, and with the knowledge gleaned over the past three months that has reinforced just how fragile our hold of time is.