We may not have hit the streets whooping and hollering like released prisoners who have finally served their time, but the potential would have been there for some premature celebration. For reckless thoughts, for the relaxation of a nation's psyche.
Heading toward the Covid-19 finish line is a marathon, not a sprint.
And if a marathon is 42.2km of hell for a first timer, we're about through the 25km mark - mildly euphoric at the realisation that we can actually finish. But still some time to go, and plenty of opportunity to stuff things up.
Remember, the country took some time to adjust to what we could and couldn't do under level 4.
It will take at least a week to get our heads around what we can and can't do under level 3.
Level 3 - like level 4 with takeaways, it's been referred to.
That's easy to understand, but some of us may take longer to grasp that close contact with multiple people is still to be avoided.
So is that long walk alone on that overgrown bush track, out of cellphone coverage, that you've always fancied tackling.
Expect more debate on the subjective nature of the term "experienced''.
As in "experienced" cyclists, mountain bikers, hikers and surfers. Experienced takeaway consumers will have less problems debating which fast food to gorge themselves on, no doubt.
Jacinda Ardern broke the bittersweet news of a longer level 4 lockdown masterfully by avoiding the words "extended" and "extra".
She focused on the flickering light at the end of the Covid-19 tunnel.
Let's hope over the next few weeks and months, that it burns a little more brightly each day.
