More COVID-19 testing services in Port Stephens as Hunter faces likely lockdown extension

Hopes that the Hunter lockdown, which on Tuesday was still due to end at 12.01am on Friday, would be constrained to one week were quickly fading as the region's list of exposure sites and new cases continued to grow.

Thirteen new cases in Newcastle and Lake Macquarie were announced on Tuesday taking the region's total to 39, two of which are located in Port Stephens.

Hunter New England Health confirmed a Raymond Terrace man in his 30s and a Medowie man in his 40s had tested positive for COVID-19 on Sunday and Monday respectively.

The source of the Port cases is "under investigation", HNEH said.

NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian said health advice would determine what came next for the Hunter and its lockdown while NSW chief health officer Dr Kerry Chant thanked the community for "coming out for testing in such big numbers" to be tested.

Huge demand for testing across the region since the lockdown was announced on August 5 and the rise of cases in the Hunter prompted a third testing clinic to be established in Port Stephens and the Nelson Bay drive-through clinic's hours of operation to be extended.

It followed outcry for further services by the community and state MP Kate Washington across the weekend due to limited testing available in the area on a Saturday and none on Sunday.

"The beginning of this lockdown has been difficult because we haven't had the testing services we've needed. I am pleased that from pressure we saw [services] eventually open on Sunday and now have a new mass testing clinic in Raymond Terrace to meet the demand," she said.

Histopath Pathology's drive-through testing clinic at Lakeside Sporting Complex in Raymond Terrace was met with bumper-to-bumper cars when it opened at 8am on Tuesday, August 10, but settled throughout the day. The clinic is open 8am to 6pm seven days a week.

The NSW Government and Ms Washington are urging residents who have COVID-19 symptoms or visited any venues of concern - a location where a positive case visited while infectious - to self-isolate and get a test immediately.

There are three venues of concern in Port Stephens. Anyone who visited the locations during the times listed are considered a casual contact and must get tested:

The exposure time at the Metro was updated late on Tuesday. It was previously believed the positive case visited the petrol station between 11am and 11.20am.

The new time was released by Hunter New England Health on social media on Tuesday which caused confusion in the community as the NSW Health exposure list detailing times, locations and testing steps remained unchanged on Wednesday.

A Hunter New England Health spokesperson confirmed with the Examiner on Wednesday that the Williamtown exposure time on August 6 was between 10.50am and 11.10am.

NSW Health said on Sunday that Big W Raymond Terrace was not a "venue of concern" following an investigation into information that a delivery driver who tested positive for COVID-19 had visited the store between 10.15am and 10.45am on August 4.

"Following a review of CCTV footage, some individual staff members are considered casual contacts and have been contacted with testing and isolation advice. The venue was not listed as an exposure site as it is not a risk to the wider community," NSW Health said.

Guzman Y Gomez at Heatherbrae shut its doors for cleaning on Saturday after a worker allegedly tested positive for the virus. However, the store is not listed as an exposure site on NSW Health's website.

"We have active cases increasing venues of concern that is really troubling. There's going to be some challenging times ahead," Ms Washington said.

"If you have symptoms, get testing and keep trying to get vaccinated. It's hard when we haven't had the testing services we've needed and people have had their vaccination bookings cancelled. But with the new service and hopefully vaccination appointments reinstated we can get back on track."

Meanwhile, the Department of Defence is working with health authorities to track down the source of a COVID-19 case on the Williamtown RAAF Base. It is believed a person working in the No. 2 Operational Conversion Unit, which teaches fighter pilot skills, tested positive last week.

"A comprehensive public health response is now underway under the direction of NSW Health. RAAF Base Williamtown was already subject to the Hunter Region stay at home orders and all appropriate measures are being taken in accordance with NSW Health requirements."

Operations at the adjoining Newcastle Airport have been unaffected by the outbreak, however, some surrounding businesses have shut down. BAE Systems Williamtown, which interacts with the base for the maintenance of aircraft, took the precautionary step of closing on Sunday.

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