WHEN it came to handling the impact of COVID-19, Australia summarised the global paradox.

On one hand, it was the world's pin-up nation for dealing with the deadly emergency, keeping cases and deaths down to a handful compared to the spiralling statistics of the US and Europe.

On the other, this approach came at a heavy mental and physical cost for its citizens, as Come On Victoria! I'm Done. outlines.

Lives were saved, but Elsie and Graeme Johnstone, in both serious and humorous form, show the frustration as the goal posts were shifted every time freedom loomed.

In a period of 20 months from March 2020 to November 2021, Daniel Andrews, Premier of Victoria, Australia's second-most populous state, called six lockdowns.

The first was a botched hotel quarantine that killed more than 800 people. After that, any sudden burst, even just two or three cases, was reason enough for him to hit the button and push everybody back indoors.

Schools, businesses, services, community groups, all copped the brunt, even virus-free rural communities hundreds of kilometres from the capital city.

There were a few exceptions, largely those sectors involving the unions that supported his government, along with racing, football and brothels.

Aggravating the situation, the national race to fix the problem morphed into a vanity contest between the six State Premiers and the Prime Minister, Scott Morrison, as a line-up of inflated political egos were paraded at remorseless daily press conferences. It wasn't all about health advice.

The states took it in turn to blame each other, while national leadership was found wanting. This was particularly so in the rollout of the 'it's not a race' vaccine campaign, which turned into a monumental shambles.

The finger pointing between traditional rivals Victoria and New South Wales was fired up even further by Morrison describing NSW's test-and-trace strategy as the 'gold standard'.

In turn, Andrews blamed cases leaking into Victoria on the then NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian, as well as three Sydney furniture removalists and a Bondi limousine driver.

Ultimately, on Monday October 4, Melbourne set the record that no other metropolis envied. Reaching 246 days, it took over from the Argentinian capital of Buenos Aires as the city that had spent the most cumulative days under stay-at-home orders.

Yes, lives were saved, and everyone is grateful for that, but a major theme of Come On Victoria! I'm Done. is that for the innocent bystander, it was frustrating to have the goal posts moved every time freedom appeared to be on the horizon.

You can't confine the population to barracks for months on end and not expect burnout, frustration and anger.

Elsie Johnstone

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