Tamworth has seen a drop in COVID-19 cases after 21 new infections were recorded, Moree has added eleven new cases and Inverell have reported eight.

In Tamworth this marks a significant drop after 39 cases were recorded on Thursday and a record-breaking 47 cases on Wednesday, the highest number of new infections since the pandemic first hit.

Across the Hunter New England district a total of 1.983 new cases were recorded. Of the active cases 35 are being cared for in hospital and two are in intensive care.

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From today radical changes to the way Australia deals with COVID-positive cases and close contacts will also be implemented to reduce the burden on testing clinics and improve wait times.

As Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced on Thursday afternoon NSW, the ACT, VIC and QLD will cut the isolation period for COVID-positive people to seven days.

Positive cases must return a negative at-home rapid antigen test on day six before leaving home the following day.

NSW residents will only be considered a close contact if they live with a COVID-positive person or have spent over four hours with the person in an accommodation setting.

Around the state another record-breaking number of cases have been reported with 21,151 confirmed infections in NSW - an increase of 12,226 from Thursday.

The jump in cases has seen six people die and 763 patients admitted to hospital with 69 of them being treated in intensive care.

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