For most of us, we now know one or many who have contracted COVID-19. We may even have the virus ourselves.

The mood has gone from a celebratory new phase where lockdowns were declared over, to first, a backflip on masks and QR codes, followed by a creeping back of restrictions.

The Premier came under fire last week for not being available to answer questions from the media about the latest surge in cases.

But when our journalists on the Far South Coast turned up to cover the Moruya Cup last Monday, who should be there enjoying the races but Dominic Perrottet along with local Liberal candidates.

Think bushfires, Sco Mo and Hawaii.

At a time when the people of NSW need guidance and reassurance, the Premier should be making himself accessible to the media, particularly since he scrapped the daily press conferences that once provided insights from health experts.

We have all heard the Perrottet government telling us the health system is well prepared for this new surge of COVID patients.

But when our journalists right across the State talk to local doctors and nurses on the frontline, we hear a very different story. It's a story of fatigue, anxiety and in many cases, utter despair. Yet we are told that in this phase of the pandemic, the case numbers don't matter.

Premier, the numbers do matter. Because of these numbers we have many thousands of people isolating with the disease, causing stress and staff shortages across every industry. The flow on effect is seen in empty supermarket shelves, cancelled elective surgery and a hospitality sector now describing its current situation as "lockdown by default".

The testing system seems to be in complete chaos with many clinics closing their doors. Horror stories abound about sick people waiting for hours only to be turned away, results that never arrive, lost travel plans, lost family reunions... the list goes on.

Perhaps this is what "living with the virus" looks like in NSW, but we need more from our politicians, starting with leadership.