Eighteen vehicles have been turned around and 17 penalty infringement notices issued after police set up road checkpoints to ensure unauthorised Sydneysiders remain out of the Hunter.
Police installed checkpoints on three main roads - the M1 and Wyee Road at Morisset, and the Pacific Highway at Lake Munmorah - to discourage and stop motorists leaving Greater Sydney as part of COVID-compliance operations in Northern NSW.
During the operation 2220 random breath tests were conducted, 17 Penalty Infringement Notices were issued,18 vehicles were turned around at checkpoints and 31 traffic infringement notices were issued.
Police say they will continue mobile and static operations to ensure drivers are complying with current stay at home orders in place.
The Australian Defence Force has also been on the ground in Newcastle to assist police with isolation compliance checks. Police said so far everyone checked since the ADF arrived this week was following isolation orders.
Northern Region Commander Assistant Commissioner Peter McKenna said the vast majority of Hunter residents were following the rules and urged people to continue this in order to get out of lockdown as fast as possible.
"Our numbers are stabilising," he said. "I can see the path out, we've just got to stick to the course and we will get out of lockdown. We'll get back on with our lives as normal as possible.
"It's hard on everyone but if we get through it together with... the spirit, the resilience that the people of the Hunter have shown under every type of crisis, we will get through this."
Police Regional NSW Field Operations Commander Deputy Commissioner Mick Willing said he wanted to thank Hunter residents who are doing the right thing.
"Regional areas have been through challenges before," he said. "Whilst it pains me to know regional areas are going through a challenging time, I know that regional people do roll up their sleeves and get the job done and I have no doubt that community cohesion will get the Hunter and Newcastle area through this."
But Deputy Commissioner Willing said it was a "small minority that frustrate us day in day out".
"Obviously we have strengthened health measures, strengthened fines that could be enforced at the moment," he said.
"We don't want to have to issue fines, we don't want to have to enforce those strengthened measures but we will and will make no apologies for doing so.
More than 100 fines were issued across the four Hunter police districts on Thursday, including five people who were fined $3000 each for an alleged outdoor gathering on Ash Island at Hexham.
A 24-year-old man police stopped on the way to the site was also issued a $1000 fine.
