THERE are currently 116 COVID-19 cases receiving care in hospitals across the Hunter New England Local Health District, and 7 in intensive care units.
Hunter New England Health (HNEH) reported the death of a women in her 70s from the Mid North Coast and gave its sincere condolences.
There are 42,615 active cases in the district, which only includes positive results from PCR tests.
HNEH is no longer providing a daily update on new cases due to the centralising of rapid antigen testing at a state level.
"With the centralisation of rapid antigen reporting at a state level, our local case numbers are no longer an accurate reflection of COVID-19 across the Hunter New England region - and from today we'll cease providing a local case update," a HNEH statement said.
NSW Health reported Saturday morning that in the 24 hours to 8pm Friday night 20 people lost their lives to the virus.
One person was aged in their 20s, three people were aged in their 50s, one person was aged in their 60s, four people were in their 70s, nine people were in their 80s and two people were in their 90s.
Of the 48,768 new NSW cases 21,748 were reported via rapid antigen tests with 27,020 PCRs.
NSW Health noted that of the RAT results, "15,925 of these positive tests were from the previous seven days".
The figures come as 2,576 people are being treated in hospital, 193 of whom are in intensive care.
Yesterday, the state's 29 fatalities marked a new record for the daily NSW death toll for the fifth time in less than a week.
