Leaving a space that was not just my residence but had become my workplace over the past month was a strange experience.

It felt strange to drive a car again. It felt strange to walk into a shop. It felt strange to speak to someone other than my partner face-to-face and not via a pixilated computer screen.

But what struck me most was the courtesy shown by my fellow shoppers to each other and to the supermarket's staff.

I witnessed no hesitation from people to using the hand sanitiser that had been placed at the supermarket's entrance.

I observed gallant, if not always successful, attempts to abide by the supermarket's 'five person per aisle' limit.

And I even detected a note of genuine concern and interest in the obligatory but previously largely meaningless 'how are you?' exchanges that punctuate our daily lives.

No doubt all of us yearn for life to 'get back to normal', but I do hope that some of the good interpersonal habits we have formed will continue beyond the coronavirus crisis.

Working in the media affords one a front row seat to the very best and very worst of human behaviour.

In recent weeks it has been such a pleasure to document all the wonderful things people and businesses enduring their own challenges are doing to assist others in the community.

However, while this crisis has overwhelmingly brought out the best in our region, sadly there are some who appear to have regressed.

One of The Daily Advertiser's own reporters, Kenji Sato, was racially abused in a Wagga shopping centre last week.

Thankfully, such abhorrent behaviour is not the norm in our city and it was heartening to see the near-unanimous support Kenji received online when writing about his experience.

There is no excuse for racism and the only way to stamp it out is to call it out.

I wish all our readers a happy and safe Easter during these extraordinary times,

Ross Tyson, editor