Everything you need to know about the Hunter lockdown and where to get tested for COVID-19 in Port Stephens

The Port Stephens, Newcastle, Lake Macquarie, Maitland, Singleton, Dungog, Muswellbrook and Cessnock local government areas will be under stay-at-home orders for at least a week from 5pm on Thursday after it was revealed that the coronavirus had spread to the Hunter.

"Obviously it's a significant change for the people of this area but we all have to abide by this lockdown if we're going to make a difference and really keep this virus at bay," NSW Police Northern Region commander Assistant Commissioner Peter McKenna said.

"The thing I will say is up until this point in time the people of this area, the Hunter Region, have really done the right thing.

"We have shown our resilience and we always do in times of crisis in this area, so once again I appeal to all the members of the public, the whole community - let's work together, let's abide by the public health orders and let's try to get out of this lockdown as quickly as we can.

"Whilst this lockdown is new to the Hunter Region, I think no-one can say they aren't informed about COVID-19 and this Delta variant and what's been happening in Greater Sydney and across NSW. There's no time for warnings now, we have to get across this."

The lockdown follows confirmation of five positive cases in the Newcastle area, including cases notified after 8pm on Wednesday.

Positive COVID-19 cases were reported at schools in Maitland and Lake Macquarie, as well as an exposure at University of Newcastle's Auchmuty library.

Hunter New England Health said it is providing care and support to five people confirmed to have COVID-19 in the district including two females in their 20s, one male in their 20s, and two children aged 8 and 11.

"To protect the people of NSW from the evolving COVID-19 outbreak, new restrictions will be introduced for the Newcastle, Lake Macquarie, Maitland, Port Stephens, Singleton, Dungog, Muswellbrook and Cessnock LGAs from 5pm until 12.01am Friday, August 13," HNEH said.

"The restrictions apply to people who live in the listed LGAs, or who have visited the LGAs since Friday, July 31. The rules in place for these areas are the same that are already in place across Greater Sydney, including the Central Coast."

NSW Health added that close contacts of all confirmed cases are being tested and will isolate for 14 days.

"While the source of infection for these cases continues to be investigated, we now know of a gathering on Blacksmith Beach [Lake Macquarie] on Friday night, which is believed to be the source of infection for cases in the area," NSW Health stated on Thursday.

Under the new public health order, individuals should only leave their homes for work if they cannot work from home, exercise, essential shopping, to access medical treatment or on compassionate grounds.

"They also cannot have visitors in their home. This applies to all social visits from those outside your household, including family and friends," NSW Health said.

"People still can have one visitor at one time to fulfil carers' responsibilities or provide care or assistance, or for compassionate reasons, including where two people are in a relationship but do not live together."

The snap one-week lockdown for the Hunter, announced by NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian during her briefing on Thursday morning, has sent testing clinics into overdrive.

Long queues of more than an hour at COVID-19 testing clinics across the Hunter, including the Laverty Pathology drive through clinic at Nelson Bay, were being reported on Thursday following the lockdown announcement.

Assistant Commissioner McKenna urged people not to "panic buy" at supermarkets.

"You don't need to panic buy or do anything like that because shopping is an essential reason [to leave home]," he said. "So let's make sure we look after one another, we work together and we really keep this virus at bay."

Ms Berejiklian said on Thursday morning that Prime Minister Scott Morrison had confirmed that NSW would receive an extra 180,000 doses of Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine, which would be arriving in the next fortnight.

"It means that in the week of 16 August, we can redirect those doses we had take from the regions for the HSC students and it also means we can put the balance into those eight local government areas in Greater Sydney of concern in particular," Ms Berejiklian said.

Nelson Bay Laverty Pathology Drive-through Clinic

Raymond Terrace Respiratory Clinic

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