While it appears COVID-19 cases are continuing to drop in the Hunter New England Local Health District (HNELHD) another death is a stark reminder we’re not out of the woods yet.

It comes as a woman in her 90s from Newcastle passed away with the virus.

Overnight, 1,365 new infections were recorded, a drop of almost 400 in the past 24 hours.

In the district 111 people are in hospital with eight in intensive care.

As a whole, NSW recorded 29,504 new cases (including 11,858 RAT and 17,646 PCR) and 17 deaths -12 men and five women.

Of the losses, one person was aged in their 60s, four people were aged in their 70s, nine were in their 80s, and three people were in their 90s.

Fourteen people were vaccinated, one person had received one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine and two were not vaccinated.

Seven people were from south-western Sydney, two were from western Sydney, two were from south eastern Sydney, one person was from northern Sydney, one person was from south Sydney, one was from the Central Coast, one person was from the Wagga Wagga area and one was from the Tweed Heads area.

There are now 338,613 active cases across the state.

In NSW 2,776 people are in hospital, an increase of more than 100 from the day before. Two-hundred and three people are in ICU.

More than 26% of people aged 16 and over have had three doses of a COVID-19 vaccine while 78.3% of people aged 12-15 have had two doses and 13.1% of children aged five to 11 have received one dose.

Appointments for a COVID-19 vaccine can be made online via covidvaccine.healthdirect.gov.au/booking/

From Wednesday, NSW Police will also start handing out $1,000 fines for those who fail to report a positive rapid antigen test result.

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