News that a man who tested positive for COVID-19 had visited retail and hospitality venues in East Maitland and Port Stephens recently, has driven hundreds of Maitland residents to a testing clinic at Maitland Hospital.

Hunter New England Health's (HNEH) Health Service Functional Area Coordinator Elizabeth Grist said staff carried out 348 tests on Wednesday with no known cases at this point.

"I'm not sure how many turned up on Thursday but anecdotally we were still getting a lot which is great. I have to thank the Maitland community for doing their bit and getting tested," she said.

A man in his 60s, now in isolation, had tested positive after being visited by a Sydney man aged in his 20s on July 13.

The Port Stephens case involving the 60-year-old, was at the Salamander Bay shopping centre on July 15. The Sydney visitor also attended the Windsor Castle Hotel in East Maitland between 6 and 8 pm on Monday, July 13.

Mr Grist said Maitland Hospital testing figures for July (up to July 22) were at 2523 with no known cases. "The numbers certainly ramped up this week with the local news which is a good thing and great to see people are getting tested which is still a priority," she said.

"We encourage people to continue to come forward and if they experience any symptoms no matter how mild like fatigue or a runny nose, they should get tested," she said.

People can also get tested at local pathology outlets with a referral from their GP.