As the region recorded more than 1500 new cases, state leaders assured parents that schools "were ready" for term one with 6 million rapid antigen tests (RATs) arriving at schools "in the coming days".

A return to home learning would be a "last resort" in 2022, the NSW Premier said on Monday, with the state government adopting a more "localised" response to COVID cases and outbreaks in schools.

Two RATs per week for four weeks will be issued to all pupils and staff across 3000 primary and secondary schools. More than 5000 early education and childcare centres will also be included in the scheme.

Schools will not be closed when there is a positive case, with no contact tracing for students and staff. But school principals will notify parents and guardians when infections are identified.

"Be patient with your school," NSW Education Secretary, Georgina Harrisson, said. "They will be in touch with you about when you can come and pick up your tests once they have received them and mapped out their approach to handing them out to the community," she said. "We know there is COVID in the community, so we know there will be cases of COVID in our schools."

But she said there was a "series of layered measures" to minimise the transmission of the virus through classrooms.

"When there is a positive case in a school, your principal will let you know and identify the relevant cohorts that have been affected," Ms Harrisson said. "If your child has symptoms, don't send them to school. If you take your rapid antigen test and get a positive test, stay home and make sure you follow the health advice. As a last resort, if we need to move to learning from home we will do it for as few students as possible, for as short a time as possible."

Hunter public schools are formulating plans to distribute the tests to families before students return on February 1. While Redhead Public School was yet to receive its testing kits, on Monday the school advised parents of a staggered pick up system to ensure there was no over-crowding on site once they arrived.

PCR testing recorded 722 cases in the 24 hours to 8pm Sunday in Hunter New England. There were another 790 self-reported positive RAT results. There are 92 COVID-19 cases receiving care in Hunter hospitals, with five people in intensive care units.

Across NSW, there were 15,091 positive test results, 2816 COVID cases admitted to hospital, with 196 in intensive care and 69 of those requiring ventilation.

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