Live gigs, charity events, food smorgasbords - it's been the lack of these social events that have become synonymous with COVID-19.
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But, that lack was unusually absent, with four events held across Northern Tasmania over the weekend.
This weekend we saw not only the TSL grand final held at University of Tasmania Stadium but also fishing come and try day, a cat and kitten expo and the return of the St.Giles Balfour Burn.
The return of these events put a buzz through the community, like an electric current we haven't seen for a while.
However, the return of these types of events does not mean that we simply snap back and go back to "normal".
In other news:
Refrains of "the new normal" sometimes sound tired and repetitive, but the return of events is a good opportunity for Tasmania to stop, take a breath and ensure we continue to play by the rules. While Tasmania has so far weathered the storm of the pandemic relatively well, we are about to enter an entirely new phase that will change the way we respond to the virus.
COVID-safe events are returning, and our borders will reopen in due course - in a couple of weeks. With more people mingling about at events, and even more, coming into the state to spend time with family, or to a holiday, the threat will become more persistent. Which is why we need to ensure we are not becoming complacent. Handwashing, masks and social distancing remain the biggest weapons in our arsenal to keep COVID-19 at bay - and it's important that everyone keeps those things in the front of their mind.
Tasmania has already suffered economically at the hands of the virus - a Deloitte Access Economics report released this week shows Tasmania's economic fight has yet to begin. The state's hard-fought economic boon won off the back of tourism has waned, and the impacts of our high unemployment mean that the state is likely to be back at the bottom of the economic pile.
Risking a second or third wave will further crumble the economic stability and plunge us into a health crisis we can ill afford - both on a personal and economical level.