Wash your hands, stay home if you are unwell, and get a COVID-19 test if you show symptoms.

Because if things head south like they have down south, then it's our local businesses that will probably suffer the most once again.

It's been a hard start to the year, and the most recent announcement that the borders between NSW and Victoria will close at 11.59pm on July 7, has made things that little harder once again.

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But what's happened in Melbourne, could also happen anywhere.

In announcing the border closure NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian had to backflip on her views about state border closures, but said she had no problem doing that.

"What is happening now in Victoria is very different, all of the cases are from community transmission, this is unprecedented in Australia," she said.

And it's not something we want to happen out here.

While the border closures will hurt it's something we all seem to be getting used to, even though it's getting tougher each time something happens.

Dubbo's tourism, hospitality and accommodations sectors will all take a hit as a result of the latest announcement.

The announcement has been made at the start of the NSW school holidays, and in the middle of the Victorian ones.

But if people aren't travelling, they aren't stopping in Dubbo, and they aren't spending their money to assist our economy which hurts so many in different ways, both now and into the future.

And who knows how long this will continue.

But, it's what has to happen to keep our community safe and hopefully allow us to come out on the other side.

The best thing we can do as a community is continue to social distance, self isolate if you are unwell, and get tested - because, as we see in Victoria, this can break out once more, and if it's detected early, it's easier to manage.

Do you have something to say? We welcome your letters which may run in print and online.