A woman in her 50s and another in her 70s have died with COVID-19 in Newcastle hospitals.
The younger woman, who died at Calvary Mater Newcastle, had received both doses of a vaccine but had underlying health conditions.
She was from Newcastle local government area.
The woman in her 70s, from Cessnock LGA, died at John Hunter Hospital.
She was also fully vaccinated and had underlying health conditions.
The Hunter New England Health district reported 73 new COVID-19 cases on Sunday, almost a quarter of the state total of 301.
The new cases included 19 in Newcastle LGA, 17 in Maitland, 16 in Lake Macquarie, 12 in Cessnock, six in MidCoast LGA, two in Port Stephens LGA and one in Singleton.
Thirty-three of the cases were infectious in the community, 15 have not been linked to previous known cases and 13 are under investigation.
At a state level, COVID-19 case numbers continue to fall, six days after the state started reopening social and economic activity.
NSW reported 301 fresh COVID-19 cases on Sunday and 10 new deaths from the disease.
It was the lowest daily tally in more than two months and a fall from 477 cases a week ago.
The state's COVID-19 patients include 619 in hospital and 137 in intensive care.
NSW reached its second target of 80 per cent adult double-dose vaccination on Friday, triggering a range of relaxed restrictions from Monday. The single-dose rate has crept up to 91.9 per cent.
Kindergarten, year 1 and year 12 students return to face-to-face schooling on Monday, and other years will follow on October 25.
The new freedoms for the fully vaccinated include the return of community sport, a new home visitor limit of 20 people, the scrapping of mandatory masks in offices and no caps on weddings and funerals.
Pub patrons will be allowed to drink standing up and dance.
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