Students across the Hunter have started to receive government-provided rapid antigen tests ahead of the return to classrooms next week.
Collection points were spotted throughout the region on Friday for parents and guardians to pick up kits so students could take part in the mandated twice-weekly tests at home for the next few weeks.
Jillian Howard, whose sons Jack and Liam are starting year seven and nine respectively at San Clemente High School in Mayfield, said it was a relief to have the tests in her hand on Friday afternoon.
She said her boys were excited to be going back to school.
"It was easy [getting the tests], just a bit hard working full-time, finding the time," Ms Howard said. "But it's hard for everyone at the moment, it's understandable."
San Clemente principal Bernard Burgess said levels of stress among parents collecting tests from the school had been "better than I expected".
"We've had a really good stream of parents coming out yesterday afternoon and today and we'll continue on Monday but it hasn't been congested at all, really," he said on Friday.
"I get the feeling families are definitely ready to come back to school."
It came as three men from Lake Macquarie and another from Maitland were among the 35 who lost their lives with COVID-19 across NSW in the 24 hours to 8pm on Thursday.
The Hunter New England Health District recorded 1357 new positive cases in the 24-hour period.
Of the new positive test results in the Hunter New England region, 927 came from rapid antigen tests while PCR tests contributed 430.
The rapid antigen test results included some cases where an individual had taken multiple tests, or a rapid antigen test and PCR test in the same reporting period.
The local health authority said on Friday morning that four men - two aged in their 80s, one in his 70s and another in his 90s - from Lake Macquarie and Maitland had died with the virus.
The number of people in hospital across the region has increased to 60 - up from 55 the previous day.
There are seven people receiving intensive care.
NSW recorded 35 more deaths and 13,333 new positive test results in the 24-hour period. Of those, 7077 came from rapid antigen tests and 6256 from PCR tests.
There are 2737 people with the virus in hospital across the state, and 189 of those patients are in intensive care units.
It was Australia's deadliest day since the COVID-19 pandemic began, with 93 fatalities.
The nation's previous record of fatalities in a day, 88, was set last week.
