There's no reason to believe the people of Shepparton are any more, or less, vigilant than residents from anywhere else in regional Victoria, and these results show regional Victorians have made the necessary adjustments to be ready to cope with whatever gets thrown their way.

It's difficult not to agree with the sentiments expressed by church leaders who oversee congregations locked out of their much loved churches while pub patrons are allowed to sit down inside for a meal or a drink at their local venue.

Most, if not all churches would have few difficulties implementing and maintaining social distancing practices or whatever other measures they could reasonably be expected to have to provide should worshippers be allowed back inside.

For many, church is an important place not just of respite, calmness and solitude. It's a place people draw strength from, and a place many continue to miss very dearly.

Regional gym operators are also locked out, for the time being, despite there being no active coronavirus cases in all but a couple of regional municipalities.

The impact upon regional Victorians from the perceived too-slow removal of some of these restrictions falls into the mental health and wellbeing category, an area governments will be left to deal with even after the pandemic eases. Generations of Victorians have been battered by the impacts of the virus, and the decisions that have needed to be made in response to its spread.

Through no fault of their own, millions of Victorians have lost income, their job security has been compromised, their children's education has been upended and our lives have been changed forever.

Victorians have toiled admirably and have risen to every challenge, but our government needs to be more agile to match the regions' recovery and give us every chance of a better future.