There was an air of inevitability about yesterday's announcement of a return to tighter restrictions for some Victorians, and equally, a touch of sadness.
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Premier Daniel Andrews said the renewed restrictions he unveiled would only work if people comply, and that the onus was on all Victorians to play their role in helping stop the seemingly inevitable backwards slide.
From tonight, Victorians in a swathe of Melbourne suburbs established to be hotspots for the coronavirus can only leave their homes for four basic and now well accepted reasons.
To give or receive care.
To attend work or an education facility.
To exercise.
To obtain food.
And all of these are to be performed strictly only if they absolutely need to be done.
Harsh though it may be, and while some Victorians will choose this moment to criticise the Victorian government, it's worth noting that a rise in case numbers such as the one Victoria is now paying a heavy price for, was not unexpected by medical authorities or the state government.
Perhaps instead of criticising authorities, the rest of us should double down on our efforts to do whatever we can to help rid our state of the scourge that is COVID-19.
While many of us might have backed calls a few weeks ago for the easing of restrictions, the fact we have now slipped backwards in some parts of the state shows we cannot afford to be too relaxed or too dismissive of the risks the virus still poses, and the need to follow the rules, for as long as there are rules in place. The rules have always been for our benefit, and to protect us.
It's now apparent too many Victorians have chosen to flaunt the guidelines, and while the rest of us might think only residents 10 affected postcodes have been impacted by yesterday's announcement, the reality is we all have, and there could be worse to come if the new rules are not followed.
Regardless, tighter rules are still a lot better than a surging mortality rate or surging case numbers, and that's something we should never lose sight of.