A person from Lake Macquarie has died with COVID-19, as the Hunter New England region recorded 1554 new positive PCR test results.
Hunter New England Health said its sincere condolences went to the family and friends of the woman, aged in her 60s, who was among 29 people with the virus to lose their life in the 24 hours to 8pm on Thursday.
The latest figures from the local health authority do not include rapid antigen test (RAT) results, which NSW Health began officially logging this week.
There are 29,116 active cases in the district, including 109 people in hospital - nine of those in intensive care.
Of the new positive PCR test results, 438 came from the Lake Macquarie local government area, 240 from Newcastle, 163 from Maitland, 152 from Tamworth, 114 from Mid Coast, 93 from Cessnock, 73 from Port Stephens, 69 from Inverell and 46 from Armidale.
Moree Plains and Narrabri each had 26 new positive PCR test results, followed by Gunnedah and Liverpool Plains (22), Singleton (15), Glen Innes (11), Dungog, Muswellbrook and Upper Hunter (9), Gwydir (8), Tenterfield and Uralla (4) and Walcha (1).
Twenty-nine people died across NSW in the 24 hours to 8pm on Thursday.
There were 63,018 new positive tests recorded in the state - 25,080 PCR results and 37,938 confirmed cases from RATs.
Hospitalisations have continued to rise statewide - 2525 up from 2383 the previous day as the number of patients in intensive care units increased by three to 185.
NSW Health noted in its update that the numbers included some cases where the same person received a positive RAT result on multiple days or where an individual had a positive RAT and PCR result within the same reporting period.
