At the same time, and as we’ve seen in recent days, this virus is very good at finding our weak spot. Getting us when we’re relaxed and comfortable and with the people we love.

So for now, it’s important we reduce the risk in some of our most vulnerable settings.

That means having no more than five visitors to your home per day.  And limiting public gatherings with friends and family to 20.

I know that’ll be hard. After the past 12 months, all any of us want to do is spend time with the people we love.

But by sticking to the rules and being conscious of who we see and how often we see them, we’ll help keep our friends and families safe.

We can’t fully relax the rules in our hospitals and aged care homes yet either – instead, we’ll limit visits limit to one household per day and some specific exceptions.

Masks will continue to be a big part of our defence and will be required everywhere indoors except at home – at the supermarket, at the office, at the pub when you’re getting up to pay.

Masks will also be required outside if you can’t physically distance from others.

Those other defences – checking in when we’re heading out, washing our hands, keeping our distance – will remain just as critical.

So too will the best protection there is: getting tested if you have any symptom, no matter how mild.

Because as much as far as we’ve come, as much as we’ve achieved, without the full-scale rollout of the vaccine – this virus isn’t going away. 

We have every reason to be proud – and every reason to stay safe.