Health authorities are warning people in Kurri Kurri and surrounding areas to remain vigilant for COVID-19 symptoms after revealing a young woman was infectious in the community.
Two new cases of COVID were reported in the NSW Hunter region on Friday, up from zero cases on Thursday, with 29 people being cared for in hospital.
Hunter New England Health physician David Durrheim said the Kurri Kurri case was yet to be linked to any other outbreak.
"The source of her infection is not yet established and we're doing a lot to try and understand where this might have been," he said.
"If you have even the mildest of symptoms, a sore throat, a runny nose, a cough, shortness of breath, a fever, a change in your taste or smell, don't ignore those symptoms."
Hospital case 'no risk'
Dr Durrheim said the second case announced today was an older man from Tomago who contracted the virus at Sydney's Royal Prince Alfred Hospital and has remained there since becoming infectious.
He said the man posed "no risk for transmission in the local community".
One-hundred and seventy cases have been recorded in the health district since August 5.
The total number of cases from the Costco cluster remains at six, with no new cases announced.
A further 668 cases from the Costco cluster are considered close contacts and are in isolation.
The extent of the Costco cluster could be better understood in coming days, with the 700 close contacts taking their seven-day test today.
Dr Durrheim said there were also no new cases identified from a potential cluster at a Windale apartment block, but authorities were uncertain as whether there had been any community transmission.
He urged anyone who attended the James St building between Friday afternoon (August 20) and Tuesday afternoon (August 24) to isolate and get tested.
Aged care residents discharged
Eleven aged care residents who contracted COVID-19 at the RFBI Hawkins Masonic Village facility in Edgeworth are set to be discharged from hospital on Sunday and Monday.
"Their spirits are great and we're looking forward to having them back," chief executive Frank Price said.
He said two other residents will remain in hospital for a few more days to ensure they had passed the infectious period.
Six staff and 15 residents contracted the virus earlier this month.
Two residents, 96-year-old Kelvin Knight and 85-year-old Bill Beecham, died from the virus.
Mr Price said Mr Beecham's wife had died in the preceding weeks and he had elected not to have medical treatment in hospital.
"He chose his time and I think that's an honourable death," Mr Price said.
Mr Price said Mr Knight was in palliative care when he contracted the virus.
"The sad part of this gentlemen's death was that he didn't have his family by his side," he said.
"The fact is, it was a lonely death and this is one of the things COVID does to people … it's restricted so many aspects of what we consider normal.
The facility had a vaccination rate of 38 per cent when a worker unknowingly sparked the cluster.
Mr Price said most staff were now vaccinated and those that were not had appointments booked for next week.
