Five positive COVID-19 cases in a single house at Budgewoi on the Central Coast has prompted health authorities to issue a warning about the importance of self-isolating.
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Two other people in the same household had tested negative for the virus.
One of these people made 25 visits to 16 shops in five days when they should have been isolating.
NSW Health subsequently listed these shops as exposure sites in several suburbs, sparking fear and anger across the Coast with thousands of people rushing to get tested.
The matter has prompted Central Coast Health to reiterate that "people who are close contacts of confirmed COVID-19 cases are required to self-isolate".
"Self-isolation means you must stay at your home or accommodation and remain separated from others," a Central Coast Health spokesperson said.
"You cannot leave your house or accommodation, unless for medical care or a permitted purpose."
The Budgewoi case highlighted the difficulties some people have in comprehending or following public health orders.
On this point, the Central Coast Health spokesperson highlighted that self-isolation was "different from the current Greater Sydney stay-at-home restrictions, where a person may only leave their house for a reasonable excuse [like exercise]".
NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian has warned that the Delta strain was causing transmission between household members in almost "100 per cent" of cases.
As such, any person to leave a household that contains a positive case puts the community at great risk, whether they have tested positive or not.
Academics have stated that some households should be split into taxpayer-funded quarantine to prevent this kind of transmission.
Swansea MP Yasmin Catley said NSW Health had changed the status of the exposure sites in the Budgewoi to Lake Haven area from casual contacts to close contacts.
"A close contact must get tested and isolate for 14 days, regardless of the result," a NSW Health statement said.
Butcher John Power works at Stockade Meats in Budgewoi, which NSW Health identified as a COVID-19 exposure site for 20 minutes on July 22.
Mr Power said the butcher shop had been thoroughly cleaned and was trading again.
He said customers had returned and been "very kind".
Initially there had been worries, but now "we've moved on".
"I'm a fan of getting vaccinated, wearing face masks and using QR codes," Mr Power said.
Pensioner Rob McDonald lives in San Remo, which had a shopping centre, bottle shop, Coles supermarket, butcher and pharmacy identified as exposure sites.
Mr McDonald said it was good that the people in the Budgewoi house had all been moved to Special Health Accommodation in Sydney to isolate.
"I hope they throw the book at them. The law was broken. That person could have infected a lot of people," Mr McDonald said.
"Everyone is scared that they'll get COVID."
Mr McDonald was also disgusted at the protesters in Sydney, saying "they should jail the lot of them".
"I'll be glad when this is over and done with, but I don't think we'll ever get rid of this."
Mr McDonald said he had one shot of the AstraZeneca vaccine, with a second shot planned in August. He remained highly wary of COVID.
"Look at that young woman in her 30s who died with no underlying health problems," he said.
A pharmacy worker in the area said the Budgewoi cases had caused widespread fear.
She was worried about catching the virus and transmitting it to her kids and parents.
"We have to keep working," she said.
