It is a conclusion shared by many commentators and many more economists and business and political leaders.

But it is an outcome that could not be avoided, as much as governments have had to play the balancing game of jobs versus the pandemic's spread.

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Keeping everything open would have come at considerable human cost, as the US is now experiencing after several states prematurely re-opened, sending a blast of oxygen into the coronavirus furnace.

And as has been said in these past few weeks as Victoria's suffered an extremely worrying outbreak of community transmissions - ultimately stemming from the hopelessly bungled hotel quarantine regime in Melbourne - an economy can recover, but lives taken cannot.

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This economic downturn, which will stay with us certainly for the rest of the year and not see a genuine turnaround for possible several years ahead, will produce flow-on effects right throughout society.

It is a scenario that's extremely concerning given the considerable societal issues already at play.

The spectre of domestic violence becoming more common because of social isolation have already been borne out in the figures and the stories told by those who work in the field.

But this is just one issue. Data released on Monday by Homelessness Australia gave even further credence to the problem of our community's hidden homelessness.

Those who work in the sector on the Border have spoken of the issue previously, but what was outlined was concerning nonetheless; that there is a social housing shortfall of more than 6000 properties, with about 800 people without a home in the Indi and Farrer federal electorates alone.

The pandemic is threatening to make that even worse.

As a community, we must remain vigilant on such homelessness and be prepared to work together on solutions that can take us forward with promise in a post-COVID-19 world.