Armidale COVID-19 lockdown: Armidale's schools and libraries are set to close, but vaccine and testing hours will dramatically expand as Armidale faces coronavirus outbreak

The New England city recorded its first two confirmed cases of coronavirus since April 2020 on Saturday.

Health minister Brad Hazzard ordered the city into an immediate seven-day lockdown. The stay-at-home order also applies to anyone who had visited the city since July 29, including that day.

Local MP Adam Marshall told the Leader Armidale's schools will be closed on Monday, except for children with no other option.

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"Whilst the schools are close, no child will be turned away from a school," he said.

"For example if I was a nurse, as a single parent and I had a child, I have to work, because I'm a nurse and I'm at the hospital. I'm probably jabbing or testing people. I could send my son to school as per normal.

"But basically the schools will be closed, there won't be any teaching or learning being undertaken."

The shutdown will mean a postponement of a trial Higher School Certificate exam by local year 12 students by a week.

The Armidale Regional Council will also close all non-essential council facilities, with all council staff able to do so to work from home for the next week.

That will include both Armidale and Guyra Libraries, all civic administration buildings, the Armidale Folk Museum, Kent and Hughes house, the visitor information centre, council-managed community halls and Home Support Services Guyra.

Hunter New England Health Executive Director Susan Heyman said health authorities were charging into action, and orders for additional AstraZeneca vaccines were already in.

State health authorities should be able to expand hours of vaccination when the jabs arrive on Wednesday, she said.

They also have "enough Pfizer at the moment to continue with the vaccine we've been doing", Ms Heyman said.

Asked if the local health district planned to use rapid vaccination rollout to choke out the potential outbreak, as has been the strategy in Sydney, she said the government wants to vaccinate as many people as possible.

"We want to vaccinate as many people as we can. So it depends on what vaccine's available, and where that vaccine gets directed to as to whether we're able to do more than what we've already scheduled," she said.

"I know that there's certainly a focus on vaccinating in areas where we've got outbreaks."

GP clinics are supplied by the federal government.

Both vaccination clinics and testing centres have expanded their hours dramatically.

Ms Heyman said the local health district won't bring people in to the city to staff the clinics "unless we have to" to avoid bringing people into a red zone.

In an appeal for community solidarity on Saturday, Mr Marshall said the outbreak is "as serious as it gets" for the Armidale community. He called on residents to follow the rules and "stick together" in the face of the virus risk.

One of the only Armidale residents not to be subject to the lockdown is the mayor, Ian Tiley.

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Cr Tiley, who is currently in Maclean, has not been to Armidale in 10 days.

"I won't be going back I can tell you," he said.

"It'd be foolish to do that."

Residents should stay home except for prescribed reasons like shopping for essentials, medical appointments, getting tested or vaccinated for COVID-19 or if they're an essential worker.

Armidale residents cannot have visitors to their home, including family and friends.

Locals are urged to get tested even if they have the mildest flu-like symptoms, like a scratchy throat or a runny nose.

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Armidale Hospital testing clinic will operate from 9am to 5pm, every day of the week. Appointments are can be made by phoning 0427 923 080.

Laverty Pathology drive-through clinic at Armidale Airport will operate from 8am to 2.30pm on Saturday and Sunday, and is available without an appointment.

The lockdown is scheduled to end at 12.01am on Sunday August 15.

The state recorded a record 319 locally-acquired cases to 8pm on Friday night, with five NSW residents dying of the virus on Friday.

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