Defend against a false sense of security in less affected areas

There is a temptation to relax control measures when there are no cases locally, and even more so when geography seems to provide protection. But the consequences of the virus arriving into a community that is not defending itself effectively are very high - there could be a 'care home' magnitude outbreak in a remote place or on an island simply because the basics were not observed sufficiently beforehand.

The virus is a bit like a fire: the 'triangle' of fire has three corners - fuel, oxygen and heat. Take one away and the fire dies out. For the virus the corners are virus, victims, and transmission opportunities. In areas of the country that don't have the virus at present, there may be no cases because there is no virus. But if the transmission opportunities are not properly managed then like a pile of dry kindling waiting for a spark, one unanticipated case arriving could start a major outbreak.

Remote communities that are banking on their remoteness to keep them safe are highly susceptible to the virus unless the basic protective measures are rigorously observed. This message needs to be reinforced as we move closer to easing of measures.