SCENES in The Netherlands turned ugly over the weekend when protests against COVID vaccination proofs descended into chaos, with police firing on protesters after they torched cars in Rotterdam.
It is a sign that despite the promising trends in the Hunter and broader NSW, COVID-19 is with us all yet.
Ireland is one of the northern nations facing a potential return to lockdown amid rising cases, proving vaccines are no panacea in the face of this persistent pandemic.
Closer to home, the bunfight has raged between Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews and Prime Minister Scott Morrison after abhorrent scenes at protests held outside the southern state's parliament.
Caution remains the key, even as the Hunter region's daily cases had dwindled in recent days to single digits. It is likely our best protection against the need for restrictions to return, a situation that few would welcome. The economic blow alone is one that the country would prefer not to withstand again.
As we learned in August, the situation can evolve rapidly with COVID-19. Lockdown arrived quickly after outbreaks since linked to Blacksmiths and Shortland, and while contact tracing can move quickly it will always be trailing the Delta strain's highly contagious sprint.
The reality is that vaccinations give us options, but they do not make us impervious to the spread of the novel coronavirus. Although significantly reduced, the chances of contracting the disease and developing symptoms are not erased by two doses. That is not to undercut the importance of the vaccination rollout and our high rates of uptake, but to make it clear they alone will not guarantee the safety of all.
Mr Andrews hit back at the prime minister's claims that people wanted government out of their lives with a jibe about the pace of the vaccine rollout. With an election looming in the federal sphere, both sides of the ideological divide will be eager to write history in favour of their actions. What is clear, though, is that without vaccine the choices before us were more limited.
Australians should take pride in their willingness to put the public good first and seek vaccination quickly and without fuss. Yet masks, distancing and other measures cannot be returned to the shelf for some time to come.
The seasonal nature of flu may offer some explanation for improved rates of transmission in this country, with warmer months approaching and more of us spending time outdoors. At the same time, we do not know how many cases may exist without the detection offered by testing. That rate perhaps the only COVID-19 number we want to see stay high in the months ahead.
Australians have given themselves the best chance for protection from COVID-19 and the less lethal pain of lockdowns. Still, the price of freedom remains vigilance.
