From midnight on Thursday, pubs in NSW now have a maximum 300 capacity, and COVID-19 hygiene marshalls will also be employed to oversee the operation of venues.

Additionally, every patron's details must be taken electronically to help with contact tracing.

It comes after new coronavirus cases were linked to a Sydney hotel this month.

But Gunnedah publicans aren't very pleased with the decision.

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Imperial Hotel owner Mandy Fathers believes that it's only a select few pubs that don't follow the rules, and that restrictions should be placed on other food businesses, too.

She said the tighter restrictions were a "kick in the guts" for the industry.

"I've been into some cafes, not saying in Gunnedah, that are clearly not doing the right thing, but they've always picked on hotels," she said.

"It's really frustrating for people doing the right thing. It's just because of the select few that are doing the wrong thing, we're being punished."

Ms Fathers now has to find the money to pay a hygiene marshall and to purchase an app to record every patron digitally.

Parkview Hotel publican Greg Thomas said the new restrictions were "another fairly substantial blow" to his business, but he understood the importance of it.

"We need to, as a collective group, do what's asked and comply in order to keep our hotels open, whether we're in Sydney hotspots or not. We all come under the banner of NSW," Mr Thomas said.

But that doesn't mean the tightened rules aren't causing the publican stress.

"We have to get our staff COVID-19 trained to undertake the hygiene duties [by Thursday midnight], and we need to ensure our patrons are doing the right thing," Mr Thomas said.

"Sign-in, sit down and stay open. The three S's, that's what they want us to do.

"If we do all that, we might be able to inhibit all this."

All pub owners in Gunnedah are being hit with double bad news - AgQuip has also been cancelled causing a further loss of business.