Testing numbers in Newcastle increased by more than nine times in four days as the city's COVID outbreak became known
The numbers went from 712 on Saturday, to 1900 on Sunday - the day the Argyle House exposure was announced - before spiking to 4289 Monday and 6450 on Tuesday.
In Lake Macquarie there were 747 tests on Saturday, 1005 on Sunday, 3711 on Monday and 5098 on Tuesday.
In Maitland the numbers quadrupled over the same period, from 407 on Saturday, to 595 on Sunday, 1968 on Monday and 1978 on Tuesday.
Case numbers in Hunter New England remained steady on Friday, with 674 fresh infections confirmed in the district.
The daily figure is a rise of 41 from the day before, after several days of 200-plus increases. Friday's total made up about 30 per cent of the state's 2213 overall infections.
Of the 674 new cases, 308 were from Newcastle, Lake Macquarie had 190, there were 53 from Maitland, 41 from Port Stephens, Cessnock had 24, 13 were from Mid Coast, Singleton had 11, eight were from Tamworth, seven were recorded in Muswellbrook, five were from Upper Hunter, four were from Gunnedah, Inverell had three, Armidale, Walcha and Moree Plains each had two and there was one in Dungog.
The state's one death was a woman in her 60s from the Northern Tablelands, who died at St Vincent's Hospital. She was not vaccinated and had underlying health conditions.
There are currently 2122 active cases in the District, with 12 being cared for in district hospitals, and three are in ICU.
There have been 185 Omicron cases confirmed across the state so far.
