Another COVID-related death confirmed in Kitsap, 123 total

On Monday, the Kitsap Public Health District confirmed another COVID-related death, bringing the countywide total to 123 since the pandemic began in March of 2020 and 76 since the new year.

Information on the two most recent death is currently unavailable. Of the 121 prior deaths, 55 were ages 80 and over, 30 ages 70-79, 21 ages 60-69, 10 ages 50-59, three ages 40-49, and two ages 30-39.

Additionally, 65 new positive cases of COVID-19 were confirmed since Monday, bringing the countywide total to 9,120 since the pandemic began. Of the new cases, 19 were in North Kitsap, and one on Bainbridge Island. South Kitsap had 14, while Central Kitsap had 14 and Bremerton 17.

The health district recently announced they will only be updating COVID figures twice a week now — Mondays and Thursdays.

"We are making this change because COVID-19 activity has declined in our region, and we want to shift resources to support other important public health initiatives," the health district states. "If COVID-19 activity ramps up in our county, we will increase the frequency of our surveillance report updates."

A total of 61 cases were considered in "isolation" by the health district, meaning they are "confirmed or probable COVID-19 cases who are in their recommended isolation period" (10 days after first symptoms.) 103 "total close contacts in quarantine" were also confirmed in Kitsap, meaning they are "residents who were determined to be close contacts of confirmed cases and are in their recommended quarantine period" (14 days after last contact with case).

Over the past week, the county's positive case rate per 100,000 residents is 42.2, which is above the "high level" of coronavirus activity — per state guidelines that means any rate 37.5 and above.

To date, the number of Kitsap County residents 12 and older who have initiated vaccination is 64.6%, and the rate of positive tests over the last seven days has risen to 6.9%.

Of the 9,120 total cases, 322 have been reported on Bainbridge Island, 2,466 in Bremerton, 2,085 in Central Kitsap, 1,358 in North Kitsap and 2,889 in South Kitsap.