The Hunter New England Health District's volatile coronavirus situation has taken another turn, with case numbers soaring past 100 again today.
Public health controller David Durrheim said he had "very real concerns" about the increase in the region, as well as the Mid North Coast.
"The New England region now accounts for half the Hunter New England cases and we've seen a rapid escalation of cases in Moree and in Inverell," he said.
"These cases are linked to what appears to be a number of superspreader events — a funeral, a wake, a number of social gatherings and a celebration where many people, many Aboriginal people, came together and unfortunately COVID has spread in that group like wildfire."
Of today's 103 cases 36 are in the Hunter.
There were 11 cases in the Port Stephens local government area, nine in Cessnock, nine in Lake Macquarie, four in Newcastle, two in Maitland and one in Dungog.
The bulk of the remaining cases were recorded further north, in Moree, the Mid North Coast, Tamworth, Inverell and Armidale.
At least 44 of today's cases were infectious in the community and 57 were linked.
There are 14 active cases being treated in hospital, with four people in intensive care.
Dr Durrheim said it would take drastic measures to get the outbreak under control.
"This will take every person who is a close contact staying isolated, getting tested and not spreading the virus in the community to elders, friends, children," he said.
"This is really a time to limit the movement in the community as much as possible, and for everyone in Inverell and Moree who has not yet got vaccinated … it's time to get vaccinated now."
