Orange detects 50 COVID infections included in Western Region's total of 244 cases

The total number of infections for Orange is up by 23 from the latest report, with the monthly figure surging from 233 to 283 for December.

The city's 50 cases are included in the latest announcement from Western NSW Local Health District, with the second-largest tally included in a total number of 244 cases across the West.

Infections in Dubbo were the largest figure, with an even 100 cases reported. Of these, six have Wellington addresses.

The Bathurst Local Government Area has 24 cases, with the Mid-Western LGA sitting at 17 infections; nine of these have Mudgee locations.

There are 11 cases in the Warrumbungle district, which include six Coonabarabran reports.

Both Oberon and Parkes LGA's each recorded seven cases, with six in Cobar and four in the Cabonne Shire.

There are three cases in the areas of Coonamble, Narromine and Cowra.

Cases in the Brewarrina, Forbes, Warren and Lachlan LGA's are at two; Condobolin addresses were linked to the Lachlan infections and there is a single case for the Blayney Shire.

Following a snap national cabinet meeting held on Thursday, what defines a 'close contact' has been uniformly agreed upon by five of the nation's states, with prime minister Scott Morrison confirming the changes in a press conference.

"Except in exceptional circumstances, a close contact is a household contact or 'household-like' of a confirmed case only," Mr Morrison said.

"A household contact is someone who lives with a case, or has spent more than four hours with them in a house, accommodation or care facility setting," Mr Morrison said.

The decision for rapid antigen tests was also formed during the meeting, where Mr Morrison confirmed that publicly-funded RAT tools will be used at testing centres as a first port of call, instead of the usual PCR testing tools.

Statewide, NSW has recorded 21,151 new locally-acquired COVID-19 cases in the 24-hour reporting period to 8pm on Thursday, December 30.

This figure skyrocketed overnight, with an additional 8,925 cases from reports the day prior.

There are 832 people in hospital receiving treatment for the virus, which sees an additional 90 people hospitalised between the end-to-end reports.

There are 69 cases in ICU, a number up by six, with six COVID-related deaths on report; the most deaths in a 24-hour period on report to date.

The death toll of people having died from COVID-related reasons is now at 660 for NSW.

First dose vaccination figures are at 95 per cent in the state, and 93.6 per cent of adults 16+ are fully vaccinated.

Figures for people aged 12-15 are at 81.5 per cent, and 78.2 per cent have received two doses of a COVID vaccine.

Testing figures are at 148,410, a figure surging by more than 50,000 from the previous day.