Take heart, Melbourne: it's time for the next step in easing Covid restrictions | Jodie McVernon and James McCaw

Blanket restrictions have served their purpose. Their harms now outweigh their benefits

As Daniel Andrews signals significant steps" will be taken to ease Victoria's Covid rules on Sunday, there is ever more pointed attention to the number five. Five is the target set for the rolling 14-day case average that will allow us to move to the next step of easing restrictions on our journey to social and economic recovery.

But getting to that target has proven challenging. In fact, we've been sitting firmly on an average of 10 since 7 October. On 16 October Melbourne's average is now 8.7 cases.