More than 400 new cases of COVID-19 have been reported across the Murrumbidgee Local Health District, with a total of 453 people confirmed to have contracted the virus in the 24 hours to 4pm on Monday.

The sharp rise comes after just 251 new cases were announced for the region the day before, and on the same day more than 13,000 people in NSW lodged positive tests and five people died.

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Sixteen people are in Riverina hospitals with the virus, however none of those patients are currently in the intensive care unit.

Of the MLHD's newest COVID cases, 37 were discovered through PCR testing and the remaining 416 received their positive result through the use of rapid antigen tests.

Wagga accounts for almost a third of the active cases in the MLHD based on PCR results alone, with 1447 people suffering from COVID as of Tuesday.

That number has risen by several hundred after sitting at 1170 on Friday.

However, it is likely to be even higher given the data does not take RAT results - which have at times outstripped PCR results by 10 to 1 or more - into account.

In comparison, Albury has 657 current active cases, and the community with the next highest number of unwell residents is Griffith with 367 and then Hilltops shire with 188.

Current active cases by LGA (as recorded by PCR tests only):

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