As NSW experiences a new wave of transmission driven by the BA.4 and BA.5 COVID-19 subvariants, the latest NSW Respiratory Surveillance Report shows Hunter New England has recorded in excess of 300,100 cases to date this year, with more than 9200 new COVID-19 cases reported.

Across the state, there were 74,927 positive COVID cases reported the week ending July 16, but NSW Health says this is likely an "underestimate" of the true incidence in the community.

The number of people in hospital with the virus in NSW increased by 6 per cent to 2,058, up from 1,946 at the end of last week.

There were 142 COVID-19 deaths reported in NSW this week, a 51 per cent increase from the 94 reported last week.

Of these, 68 per cent had received a third dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, while another 46 were eligible for a third dose. It comes as NSW Health urged adults aged 50-to-64 to get a winter booster dose of COVID-19 vaccine to help reduce severe disease.

Influenza has continued to circulate too, with 526 cases recorded in Hunter New England in the same week, bringing the year's tally to 13,644. NSW Health says emergency department presentations for ''influenza-like illness'' requiring an admission decreased to 42 compared to 86 admissions in the previous week. The majority (45 per cent) of these admissions were in people aged 65 years, followed by children under five years of age (31 per cent).

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