The New South Wales Government has announced a one-week lockdown for the Hunter and Upper Hunter region after five COVID-19 cases were recorded in the area.
The Hunter Valley, Newcastle and Lake Macquarie lockdown will be in place from 5pm today until midnight Thursday. August 12.
NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian announced the lockdown after the state recorded 262 new virus cases have been recorded, with at least 45 of spending time in the community while infectious.
"There was a high level of virus detected in the Hunter and Upper Hunter region and overnight there have been some cases in that region," Ms Berejiklian said.
"As a result, similar to what occurred in Orange, there will be a one-week lockdown in the Hunter and upper Hunter region"
Five people also died after testing positive to coronavirus in the state in the past 24 hours. Four of those five had not been vaccinated at all, while a fifth had just one dose of AstraZeneca.
The deaths are three people in their 60s, one in their 70s and one in their 80s.
The Hunter local government areas impacted are Newcastle, Lake Macquarie, Maitland, Port Stephens, Cessnock, Dungog, Singleton and Muswellbrook.
Earlier today a third school outside the Greater Sydney lockdown zone was closed after two students tested positive to COVID-19.
Maitland Christian School near Newcastle is the latest school to be temporarily closed as Sydney's Delta outbreak spreads.
Parents of the school were advised to "collect your children immediately, even if you are an essential worker" after NSW Health confirmed the cases this morning.
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In addition, two students from Lake Munmorah Public on the Central Coast and one from Morisset High have tested positive to the virus prompting the temporary closures of both schools.
The three students are understood to be siblings from the same household.
NSW Police are urging drivers to be patient as COVID-19 testing demand increases across Lake Macquarie and the surrounding regions
This morning officers are conducting a traffic operation across the Hunter region, with a heavy presence around the Morisset Showground.
Mandalong Road is currently experiencing delays extending back to the M1 Motorway, with heavy traffic on several other local roads.
Traffic is also congested in both directions on Hillsborough Road and other local Warners Bay roads due to increased COVID-19 testing demand.
Lake Munmorah Public advised students and parents of the closure last night with a Facebook post.
"Our school will be non-operational effective immediately for the on-site attendance of staff and visitors to allow time for contact tracing and cleaning," the post read.
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Both locations will be deep cleaned and all staff and students made to temporarily isolate as a precaution.
Member for Lake Macquarie, Greg Piper this morning provided an update to the community via social media, advising people to avoid Morisset and Doyalson.
"Contact tracing of the three students and family members is well under way. We'll have a better idea of the broader situation when that is done. Any talk of an area lockdown is premature at this stage."
A Target store in Glendale, also in the Lake Macquarie region, has been named as an COVID-19 exposure site with anyone who visited the store on Sunday between 8.30am and 1.30pm required to get tested immediately and isolate until they receive a negative result.
The cases have sparked a surge in testing numbers with NSW Police urging drivers to be patient as people queue at clinic across Lake Macquarie and the surrounding regions.
This morning officers are conducting a traffic operation across the Hunter region, with a heavy presence around the Morisset Showground.
The surge at test clinics comes after a primary school on the Central Coast and a high school in the Lake Macquarie region closed for cleaning and tracing after three siblings tested positive for coronavirus.
Mandalong Road is currently experiencing delays extending back to the M1 Motorway, with heavy traffic on several other local roads.
Traffic is also congested in both directions on Hillsborough Road and other local Warners Bay roads due to increased COVID-19 testing demand.
The news comes after health authorities flagged their concern for the region yesterday after traces of COVID-19 were detected in sewage in the Hunter and Newcastle area.
"The sewerage detected high viral load which suggests there could be undetected cases up around the Newcastle area so we are really keep to have people come forward to get tested," NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian said yesterday.
"There will be a list of the drive-through testing places that people can go to."
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Neither Newcastle and the Hunter are currently in lockdown.
Chief Health Officer Dr Kerry Chant called on people from Newcastle to be on high alert yesterday.
"A particular call out for all of Newcastle and Lake Macquarie but particularly Birmingham Gardens, Shortland, Maryland, Fletcher, Minmi, Cameron Park, Mayfield, Stockton and Fern Bay," Dr Chant said.
"It is critical that we can get those testing levels up."
The state recorded 233 new cases of COVID-19 yesterday with Ms Berejiklian warning the situation could worsen further despite an extended lockdown.
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