The people of Dubbo and NSW are slowly being rewarded for the sterling job they've down in "flattening the curve" of the coronavirus outbreak, with no new cases of COVD-19 recorded in our region for several weeks now and just a handful of cases across the state each day.

Those figures have given our state and federal governments the confidence needed to begin restarting the economy and relaxing some of the restraints on our personal movement, but those new freedoms come with undeniable risks.

Government and health officials don't shy from the fact that an easing of restrictions will inevitably mean more cases of COVID-19 and it's that stark reality that will have some people worried about what the weekend might hold.

It was just last Saturday that Dubbo shopping centres were packed with crowds resembling the last few days before Christmas and car parks filled close to capacity.

It may have been a last-minute rush before Mother's Day or it may have been a response to the prime minister's announcement a day earlier of the nation's road map out of coronavirus but, whatever the reason, the crowds raised a few eyebrows.

We can't allow ourselves to become fearful of other people, though.

We can't allow two months of COVID-19 lockdowns to turn us into hermits; we must start living again at some stage.

The CBD may be busy again on Saturday but that's not necessarily be a bad thing.

If we're all sensible, if we all practise good hygiene and if we all pay each other the respect of good personal space, then we can be COVID-safe while out and about.

This war is not yet over but every daily battle we win brings us closer to the end.

Do you have something to say? Email your letters to lynn.rayner@dailyliberal.com.au