BELLBIRD Hotel has been added to the list of Hunter COVID exposure sites as walk-in clinics continue to boost vaccine availability.
The casual contact exposure at the venue comes as the NSW Department of Education confirmed Metford's Hunter River Community School would close for cleaning immediately after a member of its community contracted the virus.
The Bellbird Hotel's exposure was from 3.25pm to 4.30pm on Wednesday October 13.
Anyone who attended during that time must get tested and isolate until they receive a negative test result.
Health officials said anyone considered a close contact would be informed directly.
The push for vaccination in the region continues, with a number of clinics open for walk-in appointments.
Walk-in Pfizer appointments remain available at the Belmont hub for Indigenous people from 8am to 5.45pm on weekdays and 8.30am to 2.45pm on weekends to people over the age of 16.
Existing bookings can be brought forward.
Wallsend Community Health is also offering walk-in Pfizer and AstraZeneca appointments for those 12 and over on Tuesday between 10am and 2pm.
West Wallsend's Sugar Valley Neighbourhood Centre is offering the same on Thursday between 10.30am and 1.30pm.
COVID restrictions have eased across NSW on Monday, with 20 visitors now allowed in a home after the state passed its 80 per cent vaccination milestone.
Other changes include the return of community sport and some students heading back to the classroom.
Masks are no longer mandatory in office buildings for vaccinated staff, and are not compulsory in outdoor settings except for front-of-house hospitality staff.
With large numbers of Hunter cases continuing to emerge each day, Hunter New England Health has urged people to use measures like masks and social distancing in addition to full vaccination to protect themselves from the Delta variant's spread.
