There were 660 fresh COVID-19 cases in the Hunter New England region in the 24 hours to 8pm on Sunday, Hunter New England Health has confirmed - a drop of 52 from the previous day.
The district's health authority confirmed on Monday morning that there were 4368 active cases in the region, with 17 people in hospital and three in intensive care.
It comes as NSW recorded 2501 new cases in the same period statewide.
Of the latest Hunter New England cases, 294 are in the Newcastle local government area (LGA), 220 are in Lake Macquarie LGA, 75 are in Maitland LGA, 19 are in Cessnock LGA, and 16 are in Port Stephens and Singleton LGAs.
Five new cases are in Muswellbrook LGA, Tamworth and Upper Hunter LGAs each recorded four, three are in Inverell LGA, two are in Armidale LGA and one case was recorded in both Dungog and Mid Coast LGAs.
"The Omicron variant has really taken off in the Hunter New England area, particularly in the Newcastle, Lake Macquarie, Maitland, Cessnock and Port Stephens LGAs," Public Health Controller Dr David Durrheim said.
"Almost every suburb has been affected and we all need to really consider that the virus is around us and take appropriate action to keep ourselves and our families safe. We want this to be as safe a Christmas as possible.
"Mask wearing is a very good idea. Every one of us who goes into a situation where we can't distance effectively from others, particularly in an indoor environment, should be wearing a mask. We know that this, in addition to the vaccination, is an important protection.
"Booster doses are very important. The booster provides a very big jump in protection against clinical illness."
No COVID-related deaths were recorded in NSW in the 24-hour period and 144,368 people were tested.
According to the latest vaccination figures released by NSW Health on Monday morning, 94.9 per cent of the state's population aged 16 and older have received their first dose, while 93.4 per cent have had their second jab.
In the 12 to 15-year-old age group, 81.5 per cent have received their first dose and 78.1 per cent have had their second.
NSW Health administered 4676 COVID-19 vaccinations in the 24-hours to 8pm on Sunday, taking the statewide total since February 22 to more than 4.2 million.
