For months of this coronavirus pandemic, the Victorian government has asked us to be patient - now we are being asked to be patient again as we wait to move to "COVID normal".
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In his first press conference with regional media in a month, Premier Daniel Andrews was pressed on Thursday by journalists about when restrictions would be eased further.
He ideally wants that to happen when Melbourne is ready to ease restrictions as well, but conceded the regions could move ahead themselves later in October if the metropolitan coronavirus numbers remained stubborn.
We just have to wait.
It was a similar story a month ago back when the regions wanted to take the earlier steps to ease restrictions.
Back then, central Victoria was waiting on Geelong to get its numbers under control and was asked to be patient.
This time it is Melbourne we're holding out for, and we're all keeping our fingers crossed the city can respond in the same way to get the virus under control.
The whole state is counting on them.
Mr Andrews said this approach was one of "safety first because we don't want to fritter away all the good work regional Victoria has done".
But in making this argument, the premier has to be careful he does not overestimate how much patience people in regional Victoria have left.
He acknowledged yesterday that there have been "perfectly understandable calls for us to open regional Victoria further".
Those "calls" are only going to get louder and more aggressive the longer this continues.
It would absolutely be more convenient if Melbourne and regional areas could move at the same pace, and the "ring of steel" around the metropolitan area could be opened to allow families to be reunited.
But convenience is only worth so much, and people can only wait so long.
October 18 looms as the date for answers - if Melbourne is not ready to join us, we need to be allowed to move along to "COVID normal" without them.
