Deputy Premier John Barilaro says Newcastle is unlikely to come out of lockdown this weekend, but other parts of the Hunter could be more lucky.
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Answering questions during a new daily update with regional media organisations on Monday, Mr Barilaro said much of regional NSW could emerge from its one-week lockdown this weekend if case numbers remained low.
He said this could include parts of the "upper" Hunter, including Singleton and Muswellbrook, which have not had a positive case during the region's August outbreak.
But he said the Newcastle area, which recorded 16 new cases on Monday, and Dubbo were unlikely to escape from stay-at-home restrictions at the same time.
Mr Barilaro said sewage tests were a "reliable" indicator of COVID-19 infection in a community.
Hunter New England Health has reported traces of the coronavirus in the Raymond Terrace, Medowie and Williamtown sewage catchment.
Mr Barilaro was unaware of the towns' sewage test results, which HNEH described on Sunday as the highest viral loads "anywhere in NSW".
The virus was also found in wastewater plants in Newcastle, Lake Macquarie and Maitland in the latest round of testing on August 11.
The Nationals leader said at the statewide COVID update that the 16 new Lower Hunter cases were "all either close contacts or in isolation", but HNEH reported that six had been infectious in the community.
HNEH public health controller Dr David Durrheim said the cases active in the community were of particular concern in the East Maitland area.
Eight of the new cases were in the Maitland local government area, five in Newcastle, two in Lake Macquarie and one in Port Stephens.
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