It wasn't that long ago the personal freedoms we are now starting to see again felt a long way off.

Yet with the economy in free fall we are being encouraged out of our COVID slumber to rejoin society and inject whatever dollars we can into activating business again.

As we survey our surrounds, some of us with cupboards still ridiculously bulging with supplies of canned goods which will see us through to 2052, we take stock of where we are in the world.

Very few believed we could get to where we are as quickly as we have done.

Some countries are still seeing a devastating number of coronavirus cases.

No one holds a candle to the US, with the states having more than two million of the world's eight million cases.

Yet, here in Australia, life is rapidly getting back to some level of normality.

You can head out to have a meal at a club, cafe or restaurant and chances are that first meal out will seem like the best meal you've ever eaten.

It's obviously hard work for staff and business owners to get back in the swing with customers clearly confused about the protocols involved in eating out.

However, undoubtedly our coronavirus confinement has given us all a strong appreciation of what we have long taken for granted. Those things that were whisked away from us in an instant. No one wants to go back to that.

Cases of community transmission of COVID-19 are still relatively low despite it all.

As a region, we are in an incredibly fortunate position when it comes to cases of COVID-19. The last confirmed case of the virus in Wagga was diagnosed on April 3 and the city has had no active cases since May 8.

While we resume life in relative normality again we can do our bit by maintaining good social distance protocols and practicing good hand hygiene. And, if you are sick, stay home and get tested.

As Premier Gladys Berejiklian said, "please don't assume [symptoms are] a cold or a flu, please assume it's COVID".

That's a sobering message.

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