Albury MP Justin Clancy says new cases in his electorate justify vaccine regulations for businesses.
There are 12 active cases in Albury, one in Greater Hume, three in Wodonga, five in Wangaratta, and two in Myrtleford.
The listing of more than 10 exposure sites around Albury prompted high demand for testing.
Murrumbidgee LHD public health director Tracey Oakman said she was aware of text messages being sent around the community falsely claiming a COVID exposure.
"It is a very wasteful and expensive joke on the community," she said.
"It also can have flow-on effects to businesses who may shut down when they think that they may have had a case ... based on fraud."
Albury MP Justin Clancy urged people to get tested.
"The reasons why the double vaccination to enter businesses is in place is bearing out this week, with the positive cases here in Albury," he said.
"It is a challenging time for our businesses ... I reiterate our call for people to be respectful."
Mr Clancy said travel to regional areas of NSW being delayed to November 1 would allow LGAs to boost vaccination rates but acknowledged it would impact businesses.
"The government has always taken into consideration the need to strike a balance there," he said.
"It is giving a few more weeks for regional areas to make sure we can drive that vaccination rate as high as we can.
"There is no appetite (for another lockdown)."
Coles and Woolworths Lavington; Platypus, Bonds and Kmart in West End Plaza, and Jamaica Blue in Myer Centrepoint are among sites listed for potential exposure.
Anyone who was there during the specified times is considered a casual contact and must get a COVID test and isolate until they receive a negative result.
A change in NSW isolation rules will see a discrepancy emerge for future exposure sites of concern between states; those who have been to tier one sites in Victoria are required to isolated for 14 days, but in NSW, that will only be the case for those unvaccinated.
Vaccinated close contacts can exit self-isolation after seven days.
No further tier one sites have been generated south of the border.
AWH Local Public Health Unit executive director Lucie Shanahan said two Myrtleford residents in one household that have turned COVID-positive had no tier one sites.
They are a primary close contact of a Wangaratta case tested positive and infected a member of their household.
Ms Shanahan expected other household contacts could test positive and said Alpine Health was helping the testing effort.
"There are no new tier-one sites in addition to those that were reported earlier this week in Wangaratta," she said.
"The contact tracing has indicated that the vast majority of people have been isolating since they have been tested (across the region), so it's really pleasing to hear that people are doing the right thing in terms of getting tested and then heading home and isolation."
Ms Shanahan said there were two active cases in Wodonga currently - one of those cases travelled from Northern NSW to provide care for a family member and the other case acquired the virus in Melbourne and returned to the region.
There are no links between Wodonga cases, with Albury cases or Wangaratta cases.
