It is unlikely the Hunter region will be out of lockdown on Friday after 11 new cases were detected in Lake Macquarie, Port Stephens, Newcastle and Dungog.
Of the Lake Macquarie detections, four are in Wyee Point. Two of these cases are unlinked and two were infectious in the community.
The other Lake Macquarie discovery is in Swansea Heads, this person was isolating while infectious.
The Nelson Bay and Shoal Bay cases were isolating, however, the case in Salamander Bay is unlinked and was in the community during their infectious period.
In Newcastle, a detection in Shortland was infectious but a case in Tarro was isolating. Both are linked to known clusters.
The Dungog case is causing concern as investigations into the source of infection are underway and the person attended an Upper Hunter mine while infectious.
Of the 123 active cases in the district, nine are being cared for in hospital with one in ICU.
NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian said a decision on the extension of COVID-19 lockdown in regional NSW would be made later this week. Some parts of the state are heavily COVID-affected while others are currently COVID-free.
The crisis cabinet will meet today to discuss the lockdown which is due to expire on Friday.
It comes as NSW reported 1,480 cases of community transmission and nine deaths in the 24 hours to 8pm last night.
Tragically, the deaths include a man in his 20s, a man in his 40s, two people in their 60s, two men in their 70s, two men in their 80s and a man in his 90s.
It takes the toll for the current COVID-19 outbreak to 148.
There are 1,136 COVID-19 patients in hospital in NSW, with 194 people in intensive care and 78 on ventilators.
With AAP
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