UPDATED: The number of COVID-19 cases in the Hunter New England health district has risen to 167, with another 25 patients diagnosed.
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Two patients remain in intensive care, among five in Hunter New England hospitals.
Of the 25 new cases as of 8pm Friday night, eight have been linked to the Ruby Princess and Ovation of the Seas cruise ships.
Earlier on Saturday, it was confirmed that a Newcastle Jets player had tested positive to COVID-19. The player and his family are self-isolating.
Other players and staff have been directed to closely monitor their health and will be required to self isolate if they develop symptoms.
EARLIER REPORT: Another 18 cases of COVID-19 were confirmed in the Hunter New England Health District on Friday for a 24-hour period where local transmissions, rather than cases contracted overseas or from known infections, sparked concern in NSW.
As the district's total hit 142, Hunter New England Health denied suggestions staff were working with a shortage of critical supplies like sanitiser and face masks.
Even basics like toilet paper and bottled water were hard to come by, according one nurse who spoke to the Newcastle Herald on the condition of anonymity.
"We have hardly any hand sanitiser and we're told to wash our hands with soap and water," the nurse said.
"The problem is we can't wash our hands with soap all the time because we'd have to run and find a basin every two seconds. It's just not practical.
"In some places sanitizer is being locked away or they zip tie it down. You've got to think people [are] taking it home and that's why stocks are so short."
Hunter New England Health medical controller Dr Paul Craven admitted overall supplies of hand sanitiser were running low, but no facility should be without it.
He said a delivery of more than 12,000 bottles would arrive in the next few days and would be enough to last for about three months.
"We have got hand sanitiser throughout the facilities," he said.
"If there is no hand sanitisier in a facility ... there should be.
"We are using more than our average hand santisier at this stage, but I have no evidence to say people are taking it home. Like most things, we might have to lock it away in certain areas so that we can actually use it for patient use."
He said "there was nothing wrong" with washing your hands and he refuted suggestions of a shortage of toilet paper. Bottled water is not provided on the wards.
"I've talked about every bit of equipment in [John Hunter Hospital] and I've not heard one piece of information to say we're short of toilet paper," he said.
Dr Craven said face masks were "an ongoing problem for all of the world".
"What we want people to do is use them wisely because we don't want people wasting masks," he said.
"Masks have got specific functions for specific situations. You wear masks when you're going into a situation where you may be exposed or you're doing certain procedures on patients.
"But we do have a good supply of masks, both surgical marks of which there are various levels ... and also P2 masks, which are a more intense mask, and we've got a large supply of those."
He said "small P2 masks" could not be supplied.
"They've literally run out, we can't get them anywhere," he said. "But we're expecting further supply next week."
Five COVID-19 patients in the health district are being cared for in hospitals, including two in intensive care. Others remain at home.
A new clinic will open at Manning Hospital on Monday operating 8am to 4pm seven days per week.
The hours at the Calvary Mater Hospital clinic have been extended to 8am to 4pm each weekday.
Statewide, there were 1405 COVID-19 cases as of Friday, up 186 from Thursday.
NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian said social distancing was critical to avoiding "community-to-community transmission" where you "don't have a source".