But it's a good phrase for our times.

We are patting ourselves on the back for coming through the first wave of the coronavirus crisis. We look abroad and see the havoc wreaked on people's lives as loved ones die, often alone in care homes.

And we see the havoc it is wreaking on societies as citizens turn on politicians who seem unable to control the virus and its spread.

Apart from patting ourselves on the back, we should also pat our politicians and our scientists on their backs.

Leaders and experts seem to have worked together to plot a way through what could have been a minefield not just for health but for social cohesion. We have avoided those divisions and fights which have poisoned discourse in other countries.

So far.

But it's never over until it's over.

At the moment, the chances of a second wave seem low. Infectious diseases expert professor Peter Collignon thinks a "second bump" is more likely than a second wave in Australia.

There is a risk, though: the more we think we have dodged the bullet, the more we risk being hit the second time. Complacency is our enemy now.

The virus is still out there. Even New Zealand realises that now. It was the model of how to eradicate the accursed thing but the country now finds that it has returned. There is a second wave in China.

There is a spike in Victoria where thirteen new cases were reported on Friday, the third day in a row with a substantial number of new cases.

And, remember, there is free movement between Victoria and the ACT. Canberra Airport has been boosting its flights to Melbourne. Flights carry people and people carry the virus. Our apparently safe island territory is not truly an island.

It is, of course, a balancing act between keeping the virus at bay and keeping the economy from crashing. The politicians know that and we see no indication that they are getting it wrong.

But risks remain.

The ACT's estimable chief health officer Dr Kerryn Coleman expects more cases in Canberra.

The task is to minimise risk by detecting infections early - and that means we, the people, have to be vigilant and report symptoms quickly. Contacts need to be found and isolated quickly. The system has worked so far and it needs to keep working.

And we need to keep working at our vigilance. "We're trying to push the message that it's everyone's responsibility to reduce the risk of transmission to and from themselves," Dr Coleman said.

"The risk of a case turning into an outbreak and community transmission is really dependent on individuals doing what they can do."

The message is: no relaxation of standards; keep distances; keep washing hands.

Do it.