Usually texts from Telstra are reminders of NBN upgrades around my still-growing suburb, but this one was different. It was a message from the federal government about the social isolation rules and a stark reminder of the strange new world we find ourselves in.

In the past 24 hours, the Murrumbidgee region has gone from having one confirmed case - in the Albury local government area - to 10.

There are now cases in Wagga, Griffith and Cootamundra, and let's face it, this will be just the beginning.

Let's face it, the coronavirus has king hit us. In just three months, it's gone from a bit of a talking point to a world-changing pandemic.

The impacts are going to be widespread and long-lasting because beyond the threat of contacting a potentially serious disease.

Like every family, we have loved ones who are likely to be particularly vulnerable to the coronavirus and I'm worried about my children, particularly my oldest son, who is in Year 12 and no longer knows what form his Higher School Certificate will take.

Every single one of us has reasons to be worried, which means every single one of us has reasons to take the government warnings seriously.

In the past few days, I have seen some fairly heartbreaking scenes.

I overheard one heartbroken chap explaining that his mother had just died and that new rules would restrict the number of people at her funeral to 10. And that 10 includes the funeral director's staff and celebrant.

This man was devastated that he was unable to give his mother a "decent send-off", and you cannot blame him.

I know families where both parents have lost their jobs and are wondering how the heck they are going to pay the bills.

On Tuesday morning, Pankaj Banga, the director of medical services at Wagga Base Hospital, told a press conference that the Murrumbidgee Local Health District was making preparations for the inevitable time when our city recorded its first positive cases.

That time came on the afternoon of the same day.

Dr Banga said plans were being made to bring in nursing and medical students if they were needed. There was also a plan to bring nurses who were working in non-clinical roles back into the hospitals if needed.

With the first positive cases now recorded, those plans may need to be put into action a heck of a lot sooner than we might have imagined.

But it's not just up to medical staff to "get us through" this situation.

Every single one of us needs to step up and do our part.

We have to listen to the pleas from our leaders about social isolation. They're not doing this to get their mugs on the telly.

They're trying to contain a pandemic.

On Wednesday, just a couple of hours after the announcement of the positive test results in Wagga, both our federal Member for Riverina, Michael McCormack, and state Member for Wagga Joe McGirr both called on the public to follow the lockdown procedures.

Dr McGirr isn't just our local state MP. He also has a background in emergency medicine. On this subject, he knows his onions.

While Dr McGirr said he was impressed with the preparations being made by local health officials to prepare for the inevitable arrival of coronavirus in the region, it was also up to all of us to help try to slow the spread.

"We need to do what we can to limit this virus on our community. It's time for us to act," Dr McGirr said.

The Wagga MP's message was blunt: "If it's not essential, don't go out."

This time last year, we almost lost a very close family member to an illness that resulted in major respiratory issues.

I can say, with complete honesty, that watching a human being struggle with every ounce of their strength just to take a breath is probably the most devastating thing I have ever seen.

While coronavirus will not have that effect on every one, we cannot afford to take the chance that it will get loose in our population, which has a higher percentage of older people compared to other areas.

We have to protect our vulnerable.