Port Stephens avoided a rise in COVID-19 cases on Friday, but the region remains on high alert with multiple businesses and sporting groups pulling the pin on weekend activities.
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There were seven new cases in NSW in the 24 hours to 8pm on Thursday. Six were linked to the Thai Rock restaurant while the other case was from an unknown source.
It came after a record 36,169 tests were conducted in NSW, including more than 2000 across Newcastle, Maitland and Port Stephens.
There are 96 patients being treated by NSW Health, including three in ICU.
Port Stephens MP Kate Washington said it was a "brilliant" result to have no new cases in the region.
"We've got a lot of tourism businesses that only just opened up their doors, closing them, making really difficult decisions but showing great leadership," she said.
"Sporting groups choosing not to go ahead after putting everything in place to make it safe. Everyone is proceeding with caution and community-first in mind."
Port Stephens Ferry Service, which operates between Nelson Bay and Tea Gardens, was one to halt operations.
"While we've been operating in compliance within all the COVID guidelines since the beginning of June, we want to ensure the safety of all our passengers," operator Teresa Charchalis said.
"We would hate it if we inadvertently brought the virus across from the bay."
Ms Washington slammed comments from Upper House MP Mark Latham, who said on Twitter south-west Sydney residents should "ignore calls by some MPs to cancel travel plans in NSW".
"Go to Port Stephens, South Coast etc if you have a holiday booked + yr (sic) health is fine," he said.
Ms Washington labelled the comments "irresponsible" and said "everyone in the state should be thinking about whether or not they need to travel anywhere".
Customer Service Minister Victor Dominello issued a warning to businesses on Friday about adhering to public health orders after pub compliance measures were extended to restaurants, bars, cafés and clubs.
Businesses must have registered COVID-Safe plans and digital patron records.
"We do not want a situation where there is an outbreak in a business ... and then [NSW] Health says, 'please, let us know who was there on this given day, during this given period' and they can't provide that or they provide it in a paper scrawl," he said.
"Health have to work triple time to ... do the contract tracing.
"That is not good enough, that is completely unacceptable, that is a blatant breach.
"I am putting businesses on notice: get your attendance sheets up to scratch in a digital format to provide it [if needed]."
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