In a region that has experienced very few coronavirus cases and deaths, the mental health implications from this pandemic are going to be caused by frustration and the need to uproot lives to deal with the border closure.
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But people who are struggling with these experiences still need to seek help, as much as those in Melbourne.
The deadliest day for Melbourne in the pandemic so far was announced on Sunday, with another 17 people losing their lives - mostly from aged care homes.
As we extend our sympathies to those families, we can also be grateful the virus has not also gone through the facilities on the Border.
Instead we have a different mental toll to deal with.
Being separated from loved ones in the other state, losing income because of not being able to physically get across the border to work, stage three restrictions preventing all visitors to your home - these are making life very tough.
There is no shame in saying this all might be too tough to cope with alone.
IN OTHER NEWS:
The Victorian government's announcement on Sunday of $59.7 million in new mental health funding needs to be seen as something to help regional areas, not just those in Melbourne.
Part of the announcement was for additional clinical capacity to be added to existing sites, including in Albury Wodonga, although it is not clear how big the slice of the funding will be.
Let's hope it is a substantial slice and can make a difference.
When the tougher border measures were announced last month, Albury MP Justin Clancy said "we have been made the frontline of containing the COVID virus".
The NSW government has also announced statewide mental health support during the pandemic, but given the decision, to put the Border on the frontline, it would nice to see some border-specific mental health funding also come from north of the Murray River.
If we are stopping coronavirus spreading into NSW for "the greater good", then we deserve to be looked after.
