In Victoria, most especially, the COVID-19 pandemic has exerted a particularly unrelenting grip.

Countless numbers of people in our health system are working incredibly hard, putting themselves at risk, to an extent that most of us wouldn't even realise.

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And yet the diagnosis numbers coming out each day from the government's ashen-faced head, Premier Dan Andrews, don't seem to be getting any better.

Reassurances have been made by chief health officer Brett Sutton that this, to a degree, had been expected as the flow-on impact of Melbourne going back into lock-down was likely to take a couple of weeks.

All we can do, they say, is try to stay home and if we really have to go out, practice social distancing and - even without it being required yet in NSW - wear masks.

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Surely this will at least help improve the situation.

But amidst all the uncertainty, which for many is proving a battle in other ways, such as the impact of isolation on their mental health, there are indeed good stories about.

For the Border, that comes in the form of Wodonga teenager Luke Runciman, who rather than just sit around at home has decided to raise money for Albury Wodonga Health's paediatrics unit.

The Wodonga Senior Secondary College captain will do so by cycling 160 kilometres on Monday.

The route will take him on a return trip from Wodonga to Wangaratta hospital, taking in many of the region's smaller communities on the way such as Wooragee and Beechworth.

If all goes to plan, as expected, Luke hopes to raise as much money as possible to go towards a $5500 Smilescope virtual reality system.

The system can, for example, allow the goggle-wearing child to feel like they're underwater interacting with marine life as doctors complete what might otherwise be a distressing medical procedure.

We would urge as many people as possible to support Luke's fund-raiser by making donations via his GoFundMe page, Ride 4 Kids Albury-Wodonga.