THIS isn't over - not by a long shot.
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While some restrictions may be gently lifted in coming weeks and months, NSW Health Minister Brad Hazzard has given the strongest possible message about exactly where we are placed in our battle against COVID-19.
Minister Hazzard used a sporting analogy during one of NSW Health's daily press conferences last week to give us all some perspective.
"I want to thank the community because the reports today, and they are accurate, at a time when team sports are being brought to a halt, one team that has worked very well together - the community of NSW, the health staff across the state and the NSW government," he said.
"Together, only a couple of months ago, we couldn't have imagined we'd be doing as well as we are."
That was the good news.
More good news arrived on Friday, too, when another of the four active cases or coronoavirus across the Western LHD was given the all clear, leaving just three patients battling the ill-effects of COVID-19 - one of those being in Orange.
The curve is flattening - but, again, a reminder. This isn't over.
The minister had a sobering reality to share courtesy of NSW chief health officer Dr Kerry Chant.
"I also want to remind the community this is a long game," he continued.
"And probably at this point we aren't very far into the game.
"In fact Dr Chant, when I was discussing this with her, I wondered aloud whether we were at the end of the first quarter and she looked at me and she said: 'Minister, we are only about, if we are lucky, 10 minutes into the first quarter.'
"I think that's a message we all need to understand. There is no room, no room at all, to forget this is a long game and a game with a lot more to go."
Given our success as a community, we are already seeing some relaxation of some restrictions.
We've seen some beaches in Sydney reopened for exercise. Sporting competitions like Group 10 and other junior leagues now have the July 18 start-date to work towards.
We're seeing the resumption of some elective surgery, which itself is a strong sign of where our health system is going OK.
NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian announced school students would progressively return to face-to-face learning during term 2, which begins on Monday.
From week three of this term, every student will be attending school for one day a week.
The government hopes to have all children back at school full-time by term 3.
Yet, as the minister says, there's a long way to go in our fight against COVID-19.
So the message remains clear - this isn't over.