Australians emerged from two years of lockdowns seemingly intent on putting the past behind them and embracing a newfound sense of liberty

Twelve months ago, as Australia’s most populous states savoured new post-lockdown freedoms, any possibility Covid-19 might slip from public consciousness was unthinkable.

Borders were reopening. Christmas family reunions interstate were an enticing, though challenging, possibility. Simply venturing over the Tweed from New South Wales to Queensland demanded near-impossible dexterity: a negative result from a PCR station with average turnarounds of three and half days, received inside a 72-hour window before crossing the border.

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