There have been complaints about delays in public health alerts in the Hunter region, and calls for NSW Health to publish venues of concerns online for people to check on.
So far, venues in the Hunter that have been exposed to COVID-19 have been the first to let their customers know.
Hunter New England Health's Dr David Durrheim said that situation was "very unfortunate'".
Dr Durrheim is also concerned about further COVID-19 cases at Charlestown Square, where four shops had already been confirmed as exposure sites.
About an hour before NSW Health alerted the public about the matter, staff had already taken to social media to share advice emailed to them by the centre's owner.
Listeners told ABC Radio Newcastle they would like more timely advice:
"Facebook posts aren't the way to manage a public health response."
"Why haven't exposure sites been posted to the centralised New South Wales exposure list."
"Cranky this process isn't running like a well-oiled machine."
"It shouldn't be up to venues to notify the public."
Most of the new COVID-19 cases in the Hunter have been children and young people in their 20s.
'On the frontline, feeding a nation'
The deepening COVID-19 crisis as well as links to retail outlets had workers and union officials on edge.
Charlestown Square is the biggest shopping mall in the region. It has 273 shops, covering an area of 93,400 square metres.
Newcastle Shop, Distributive and Allied Employees Union's branch secretary, Barbara Niebart, told the ABC workers there were anxious.
"They are nervous, and they are right to be nervous," Ms Niebart said.
"There is no option to work from home for our people, they are on the frontline — just as health workers and other essential workers are — and being able to access that vaccine would certainly go some way to alleviate that nervousness and that anxiety."
Ms Niebart said she wanted retail, warehouse and fast food workers to be given priority COVID-19 vaccines.
"We certainly think that retail and fast food and warehouse workers should be higher on the list of priorities, and given priority, because we are the ones who are feeding the country right now."
She said she feared the sheer number of shoppers going through doors in outlets across the Hunter could lead to a super-spreading event among shoppers.
Swim centre shut
A swimming centre at Thornton has shut after it was notified that two people with COVID-19 went to the pool on Wednesday.
Jump N Swim Academy said children, staff and parents who were there between 5:00pm and 5:30pm were being treated as close contacts.
It advised them to get tested and to isolate for two weeks.
Others who were in the reception area were casual contacts, as well as anyone who was there between 4:30 and 5:00pm and 5:30 to 6:00pm.
They were also advised to get tested and stay at home until they get a negative result.
Staff also have to isolate.
