THE WESTERN NSW Local Health District (WNSWLHD) has recorded another death of a person infected with COVID-19 in the past 24 hours.

The news comes the same time as the LHD, along with the rest of NSW Health, reiterated that the virus is still currently considered a pandemic from a global health perspective.

More than two years ago, the World Health Organisation officially declared the virus a pandemic, a designation given to a new disease that has spread across a whole country or the world.

Due to how far the virus has spread over the past two years, experts have indicated it is unlikely it will ever be fully eradicated, however at some point in the future it will likely transition into the 'endemic' phase.

"When a disease becomes endemic, it means that infection numbers have stabilised within the population and the virus characteristics are well known and predictable," NSW Health said in a statement earlier this week.

"This typically occurs when immunity has been built up through vaccination and infection, reducing the likelihood of outcomes such as severe illness or death.

"A disease can become endemic after the pandemic phase, but with COVID-19 we're not quite there yet."

NSW Health and the WNSWLHD consistently stated that up to date vaccinations remained the best defence against contracting the virus and developing severe symptoms, maintaining good hand hygiene, physical distance and mask wearing also provided an extra line of defense against the virus.

Across NSW, more than 95 per cent of people aged 16 and over have received a first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, and 94.7 per cent have received two doses up to Monday 18 April.

Meanwhile, 61.8 per cent of this same demographic have also now received a third dose of a COVID-19 vaccine.

The vaccination rate in lower age groups is also climbing with 83.3 per cent of the 12-15 population having received their first dose and 79.5 per cent with their second.

Of children aged 5-11, 49.9 per cent have received one dose of a vaccine, and 32.7 per cent have received two doses.

Despite this, the harsh realities of COVID-19 remain with NSW Health reporting the deaths of 15 people - eight men and seven women - with COVID-19 today (Wednesday 20 April), taking the state's total since the beginning of the pandemic to 2641.

One person was aged in their 40s, one person was aged in their 60s, five people were in their 70s, five people were in their 80s and three people were in their 90s.

Only two people were unvaccinated, with most having received three vaccines and one with four doses.

One of the people was from western NSW, one was from Wollongong, one was from Lake Macquarie and the rest were from various parts of Sydney.

There were 15,414 positive test results notified in the 24 hours to 4pm yesterday (Tuesday 19 April), including 661 in the WNSWLHD. More than 500 of these were recorded from positive RAT tests.

According to the latest NSW Health data, to Tuesday 19 April, there were 1152 active COVID-19 cases in Western Plains communities. Active cases are defined as people who have tested positive in the past 14 days.

Broken down into LGA's, this includes 24 in Bourke, 11 in Brewarrina, 92 in Bogan, 87 in Cobar, 61 in Coonamble, 77 in Gilgandra, 157 in Lachlan, 215 in Narromine, 71 in Warren, 139 in Walgett and 218 in Warrumbungle.