Follow up sewage results are expected to be announced within the next day.

No cases have been recorded in Gunnedah either, a day after a positive sewage result raised the alarm.

NSW recorded 1288 new cases in the 24 hours to 8pm on Wednesday and four of them are in the Hunter region.

Contact tracers are racing to find the source of a Port Stephens COVID case after the Hunter added four fresh infections on Thursday.

Shoal Bay, Salamander Bay, Hamilton and Swansea Heads all recorded cases in the most recent figures.

Only the Hamilton case was isolating while infectious, NSW Health said.

READ ALSO:

The Shoal Bay case is unlinked to previous exposures, while the other three could be tracked back.

There were seven cases on the Central Coast, all of which were infectious in the community.

Three were linked to known infections.

Authorities warned people travelling through areas including Lake Munmorah and San Remo to be cautious.

The fresh numbers mean there are 76 active cases in the Hunter New England health district and 649 close contacts isolating.

Seven people are in the region's hospitals with one, a pregnant woman who had not received the vaccine, in intensive care.

Across NSW there were 1288 cases reported in the 24 hours to 8pm on Wednesday.

Seven people died, while there were 121,000 vaccinated and 127,000 tests.

Police are investigating Wednesday's revelation that Sydney tree loppers were going door to door in Newcastle and Lake Macquarie.

Health authorities said that "multiple workers" for Sau Tree Services had tested positive to the virus and may have exposed those who answered the door.

Hunter New England Health added five exposure sites to the region's growing list of casual contact venues overnight.

NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian said exercise limits would be lifted in Sydney's local government areas of concern, bringing them into line with the rest of the state.

There are 64 people on ventilators in the state.

The NSW deaths include two men in their 80s, a man in his 50s, a woman in her 70s, a man in his 70s and a woman in her 80s.

All were in Sydney hospitals.

Dr Kerry Chant said that while one of the men had both doses of the vaccine, he had "significant underlying health conditons".

Several others had not been vaccinated.

NSW is expected to become the first state or territory to hit 70 per cent vaccination, Ms Berejiklian said.

"Unfortunately a number of people who have lost their lives have not received any doses of vaccine, and I hope that changes into the future," Ms Berejiklian said.

Our journalists work hard to provide local, up-to-date news to the community. This is how you can continue to access our trusted content: