For the third consecutive day, the Hunter New England Local Health District (HNELHD) has tragically recorded another COVID-related death.

A woman in her 90s from the Maitland LGA is the latest fatality.

It comes as the HNELHD detected 2,048 new infections in the past 24 hours.

That tally consisted of 1,182 rapid antigen tests (RATs) and 866 positive PCRs.

There are also 64 patients receiving care in hospitals across the HNELHD, with two of them in intensive care.

Overall, the state registered 13,601 COVID-19 cases as of 4pm on Friday 15 April, including 7,127 RATs and 6,474 positive PCRs.

Sadly, NSW Health reported the deaths of another 17 people: 10 men and seven women.

Two were aged in their 50s, three were in their 70s, eight were aged in their 80s and four were in their 90s.

Older age is a significant risk factor for serious illness and death for COVID-19, particularly when combined with significant underlying health conditions.

Of the two people who died in their 50s, one had received three doses of a vaccine and one was unvaccinated.

However, both suffered underlying health conditions.

Four people were from Western Sydney, as well as Sydney’s north, three were from Sydney’s north-west and two were from the Wollongong area, while the other fatalities occurred in Sydney’s Northern Beaches, Sydney’s Inner West, Sydney’s south and the Central Coast.

This brings the total number of COVID-19 related deaths in NSW since the beginning of the pandemic to 2,608.

There are currently 1,491 cases admitted to hospital, including 72 people in intensive care, 20 of whom require ventilation.

Get all the latest Newcastle news, sport, entertainment, lifestyle, competitions and more delivered straight to your inbox with the Newcastle Weekly Daily Newsletter. Sign up here.