The entire Hunter and Upper Hunter regions will enter a snap COVID lockdown from 5PM Thursday.
New restrictions will be introduced for Newcastle, Lake Macquarie, Maitland, Port Stephens, Singleton, Dungog, Muswellbrook and Cessnock LGAs from 5pm today until 12.01am Friday 13 August.
The rules are the same as those already in place across Greater Sydney and the Central Coast.
Everyone in these areas must stay at home unless it is for an essential reason and cannot have visitors.
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.
Full details of the stay at home orders are available on the NSW Health website, however the page is yet to be updated to include the Hunter.