It
was the start of our reckoning with a pandemic which has swept up lives, livelihoods, and economies.
Here, 22 people have died among 1528 total cases with 1484 recovered. Billions of dollars have been spent on keeping the economy afloat.
After beating the virus into submission to achieve a long run of no new cases, we now have 22 in active quarantine.
Our success in keeping our Covid-19 footprint small has meant our outbreak has become more an issue of economy and border security. Most other countries live with infection being a real possibility.
After being lauded for our handling of the first battle in the coronavirus conflict, we are now in trench warfare to keep Covid-19 from regaining a foothold in the community.
With the election just over two months away, our parties are also scrapping for political territory and advantage. Realistically, we are a long way from lowering the country's drawbridge.
There is a lot happening in the wider world which is discouraging.
Victoria is battling 10 coronavirus hotspots and is bringing back stay-at-home restrictions for those areas. Eight hundred Australian federal workers are heading to the state to help out.
China, South Korea, and Japan regularly douse flare-ups, Indonesia's infections are increasing, and India is the fourth worst-affected country in the world for confirmed cases with about 550,000.
Europe is the sole region to get its case numbers down. South America, south Asia and North America are doing worse, while Africa is rising. The jury is out on whether the European Union's re-openings will damage its hard-won progress.
Countries, leaders, and health professionals have had to find out about the coronavirus in real time as the pandemic has unfolded.
We have learned much.
Firstly, the coronavirus is not merely a respiratory problem but a complex virus which can attack multiple organs.
Secondly, the way of dealing with it has become clearer. A dangerous new surge in the southern US was predictable because some states re-opened while infection rates were still high, their testing levels inadequate, and mask-wearing spurned.
Thirdly, knowledge gained will help people protect themselves when the next virus strikes. Masks became more important in places of high community spread as symptomless transmission was identified and to compensate for failures in leadership on the pandemic.
Through this, we learned of the relative safety outdoors over indoor activity. Catching Covid-19 from surfaces or in short interactions is far less likely than being in a closed room, close to people, for a lengthy period.
The head of the World Health Organisation, Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, said yesterday the pandemic is nowhere near over. "Most people remain susceptible," he said, "the worst is yet to come".
As slowly as the past 182 days have passed, the world's still in the early stages of the outbreak. Six months in, we are still learning.
