The rest of Australia watched on from the sidelines as the number of coronavirus cases continued to rise day after day in our southern neighbour state, culminating in a statewide lockdown and the border closure introduced on Tuesday night.

Historically, it's significant as well, because it's the first time the NSW/Victorian border has been closed since the Spanish Flu outbreak in 1919.

Not a decision taken lightly, especially when you consider the impact on those border communities, but a necessary one just the same, with authorities fearful it could be repeated here.

We were being warned day in day out by health professionals and politicians alike, that this virus was still among us, circulating in the community in unknown numbers.

But it would seem a certain amount of complacency has crept into life in 'the new normal'. And that has had consequences in Victoria.

Consequences for businesses that have been forced to shut up shop, once again.

Consequences for the thousands of people who are isolated in their homes, once again.

If this isn't the biggest wake up call for the rest of us, what will it take?

Out on the weekend, you just had to look around to see people flouting restrictions, without a care in the world.

Like this pandemic never even happened, or at the very least was on it's last legs out the door. And with NSW rethinking restrictions now, you'd have to assume things aren't going to get any easier for local businesses.

The Premier has flagged "tweaking some health orders in NSW to ensure additional safety in relation to some types of gathering".

And she says compliance will be stepped up to ensure hospitality venues in particular are doing all they can, a kind of back to basics approach.

It's been coming for a while, and should be no surprise to anyone. So let's wait and see.