Somerville joined with the state in lifting the remaining COVID-19 restrictions last Saturday. This means that we can shop, be entertained, and hang out together, without the use of face coverings being mandatory except when using public transit, ride shares and taxis, or while in healthcare facilities, and in other settings hosting vulnerable populations, such as congregate care settings.

This is a big deal for all of us who have struggled through past year and a half or so, having been denied so much of what stands for a large part of one’s basic quality of life quotient.

Who among us has not longed for the time when we can breathe freely without the encumbrance of those face masks, or to shop or dine out in places that have nearly dissolved into mere memories?

Thanks to most of us following the established guidelines and then taking the vaccine once it became available, we can honestly look forward to a time when the whole nightmare is finally behind us once and for all.

But it’s not entirely behind us just yet. Infections are still being reported daily, and the virus is still around. This is why qualified guidelines are still in place. Time will hopefully work its wonders and the end will truly arrive.

In the meantime, it is our duty to ourselves, our friends and families, and the greater community at large to keep playing it safe and following those ongoing guidelines. Let’s make sure that we do so.

For more information on the state’s reopening plan and guidelines, visit mass.gov/reopening.