Case numbers in the Hunter New England region have risen by 200 for the second consecutive day with the district recording 633 new COVID-19 cases.
The cases made up more than a third of the state's 1742.
Newcastle (267) and Lake Macquarie (213) had the vast majority of the region's cases. There were 45 in Maitland, 40 in Port Stephens, 30 were from Cessnock, MidCoast and Singleton had eight each, seven were in Muswellbrook, there were four each in Armidale and Upper Hunter, three in Tamworth and one each in Dungog, Gunnedah, Inverell and Moree Plains.
There are 1452 active cases in the district, including nine people being cared for in the district's hospitals, and two in ICU.
After restrictions eased yesterday, NSW Health said it urged the local Newcastle community to "seriously consider deferring any social events in Newcastle until after Christmas in order to help keep family Christmas gatherings safe, and to help protect their loved ones, the vulnerable and our essential workers".
We urge the local Newcastle community to seriously consider deferring any social events in Newcastle until after Christmas in order to help keep family Christmas gatherings safe, and to help protect their loved ones, the vulnerable and our essential workers.
— NSW Health (@NSWHealth) December 16, 2021
Hunter New England had more than double that of the district with the second highest number of cases, South Eastern Sydney - which had 231.
It comes after The Cambridge Hotel was officially listed as a close contact exposure site.
Anyone who attended The Cambridge Hotel in Newcastle between 6.30pm on Friday, December 10, until 2.30am on December 11 is a close contact and must immediately get tested and isolate for seven days.
All household contacts of close contacts should also be tested and self-isolate until a negative result is received by everyone in the household.
