The shock news of a sudden COVID lockdown in Perth on Sunday shows just how vulnerable we all remain to the pandemic.
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Western Australia's 10-month coronavirus-free streak has ended with a hotel quarantine security guard in Perth testing positive to COVID-19,on Sunday.
That prompted an immediate move from premier Mark McGowan announcing a five-day snap lockdown affecting the whole Perth metropolitan area, the Peel region and the South West region.
Queensland and other states were quick to move in response.
Queensland police are warning travellers that all incoming flights will be checked for people coming from coronavirus hotspots in Western Australia and travellers from the Perth, Peel and South West regions of WA are required to quarantine for 14 days.
The Perth news means that all five mainland states have now suffered wave 2 lockdowns and all the accompanying stressful knock-ons. Yet there seems no doubt that swift and hard action seems the best way to shut it down.
It is the main reason why Australia has so far dealt with the pandemic so well.
I saw a snippet of a TV interview last week between Stephen Colbert and tennis star Serena Williams who was in lockdown ahead of the Australian Open in Melbourne.
Ms Williams acknowledged quarantine was difficult but a necessary step to being able to get out 14 days later and enjoy a lifestyle she hadn't known since before the pandemic hit last March.
And when she told Mr Colbert there was zero community transmission in Australia, his stunned reaction of "wow" showed just how fortunate we are to be in our position and how unusual that is in a world plagued by a rampant virus.
Here in North West Queensland we remain COVID-free over 10 months on but we cannot afford to relax our vigilance.
Brisbane had gone long periods of living without the virus before it was suddenly shut down early in the New Year and Perth had gone even longer.
The coming vaccine gives us hope for the future. But we must keep up the good work of social distancing, hand hygiene and adhering to contact tracing requirements when in public places.