And that's when you don't even factor in people being diagnosed and, in the worst-case scenarios experienced mainly in Melbourne, losing their lives.

While restrictions have eased considerably compared with the first few months of the pandemic, when so many businesses had to shut down for an unknown stretch of time, there have still been intrusions that have made it difficult to go about our daily business.

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The border closure, which thankfully is about to end, has played a significant part in that.

Wodonga businesses have no doubt suffered from not being able to attract as much custom as they would normally because NSW shoppers have baulked at having to wait in a queue to get back home again.

The situation though, of course, was considerably more difficult in the early days.

For many businesses, their only recourse was to go online.

The Border Mail certainly has featured the innovative thinking of many businesses, especially in the promotion of cafes and restaurants' home delivery options, or even in getting the favourite bakery to drop off some bread at home.

The key to that as been the ability to shop from home simply by picking up the phone and putting in an online order.

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While that has eased the difficulties, a flow-on effect that hasn't been a win for Border retailers has been the ordering of products from elsewhere in Australia and, indeed, from overseas.

It hasn't taken too much for this to become a new shopping habit, one that has satisfied consumers' whims but which has no doubt had a negative impact of local retailers' bottom line.

It is a habit that our Border business community hopes people will be able to kick in the lead-up to Christmas.

And it's not as if there are any real barriers now to people getting in the car, going for a walk or catching a bus to do their shopping locally.

It really is the least we can do.