Since the earliest of these dark days, that nation‘s zero Covid approach has been widely hailed, certainly by lockdown fanatics, as the very pinnacle of success in winning the (spoiler alert: unwinnable) fight against this virus. But there are no medals to be won in this race until it’s over. The true test won’t be until Fort Knox Australia releases the shackles from its inhabitants and reopens to the rest of the world – still a far, far-off prospect.

It’s almost as if the Australian Government wants to revel in its isolation forever.