We already know they have been absolutely worthwhile to date. We've lived with very occasional lockdowns, and apart from that life has been normal for most people (apart from those in hospo, overseas tourism etc.), and there have been negligible death or serious illness from COVID-19.

That's not to say the same equation holds true from here on in. Constant revaluation is required.

Maybe if you didn't live in Victoria. For Victorians, last year was anything but life as normal.

Still much less lockdown and fewer deaths than e.g. the UK. On the whole it think the cost was worth it, both in lives and economically

Cases keep being imported, and escaping quarantine. Not quite 'popping up'.

The game could have multiple levels of 'border closure'; Australia has relaxed border restrictions over the course of the pandemic.

It's unfortunate, but you can't quite get rid of it that way, because you keep playing whack-a-mole... if one case gets through the sieve, or forgotten about, or it goes into mustelids or some other animal and then goes back into humans... then what will you do?

We need to rapidly expand vaccination instead along with increasing equity with regards to other countries, especially poorer ones.

The game however gives you no means to whack the mole. Only country global measures. So the game does not let you "open up" without the number of infections rising again to unacceptable levels, but will punish you with low government trust. At the same time you cannot trace cases and cannot have local lockdowns. It does not represent reality.

I think the game "trace case" when the number of cases is less than 1000. I'm not sure how it's implemented, probably the increase rate changes when you pass that threshold.