On the one hand, it's incredible to imagine that this time last year, the smell of smoke was starting to creep into everyday life, and the land all around us was brown, dry and drought-stricken.

The rains have brought transformation, and the hope - if not promise - of a summer without smoke haze, or fear, on the horizon.

On the other hand, could we ever have imagined, as the coronavirus pandemic took hold in February, that we would still be coasting on COVID's long tail with Christmas well in sight?

Last week's raft of announcements, both national and local, have brought a mixed bag of emotions for Canberra, and for the rest of the country.

We've watched as more Australians, having been stranded overseas, have arrived home safely and been whisked off to quarantine in hotels.

READ MORE:

Canberra's hospitality industry breathed a sigh of relief after the government announced venues would be able to significantly increase their capacity.

With pub restrictions easing, many businesses have allowed themselves to hope that they may yet survive the year.

Australian Hotels Association ACT general manager Anthony Brierley said the removal of the one person per four square metre rule was a rare bright spot after a difficult eight months.

"There is broad relief and I dare say there's even happiness in some quarters," he said.

"The timing of these changes to coincide with December will mean hospitality has some kind of Christmas. We still have a chance of surviving until there's a vaccine."

And yet, we are still fielding announcements of major events, some still months away, being cancelled as the state of uncertainty continues.

Last week, two much-loved Canberra events pulled the plug for the second time - Skyfire and the National Multicultural Festival.

The latter has been postponed in the hope that conditions might allow it to go ahead later in the year.

Meanwhile, the National Folk Festival won't be going ahead at Easter time, and Summernats isn't on the cards this summer.

Such events bring large crowds from beyond our borders - usually a welcome influx but, in the time of COVID, a reason for trepidation.

While smaller businesses have reason to celebrate, the state of limbo for large festivals is a continuing blow, not least for the many thousands who may be left without a job or source of income.

With a vaccine on the horizon, and the country blessedly on top of the disease, it's a tough pill to swallow.

But throughout the pandemic, our government has been guided overwhelmingly by health advice, reminding us constantly that the pandemic is far from over.

On Friday, the country rejoiced with Melbourne for its stretch of case-free days, and the air is filled with optimism, even as we watch in horror as many other countries are still firmly in the pandemic's grip.

We are caught between two states of being.

The country is emerging and will soon be thriving, but without the freedom of international movement so many of depend upon, we are a long way from a return to normality.

But, on a local level, there's no denying that cancelling events that are still months away is a blow to our community spirit, and a reminder that we are not out of the woods yet.