On Wednesday, the Kitsap Public Health District confirmed three additional COVID-related deaths, bringing the countywide total to 119 since the pandemic began in March of 2020 and 72 since the start of the new year.

Information on the three most recent deaths was unavailable before press time. Of the 116 prior deaths, 55 were community members 80 and older, 27 ages 70-79, 21 ages 60-69, eight ages 50-59, three ages 40-49, and two ages 30-39. The first 43 people who died all had underlying health conditions, but the district quit releasing that information.

Additionally, 12 new positive cases of COVID-19 were confirmed Wednesday, bringing the countywide total to 8,877 since the pandemic began.

Of the new cases, North Kitsap and Bainbridge Island each had one. Bremerton had five.

A total of 57 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.) 94 “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 two weeks, the county’s positive case rate per 100,000 residents has dropped to 52.5, which is below the “high level” of coronavirus activity — per state guidelines that means any rate 75 and above.

To date, the number of Kitsap County residents 12 and older who have initiated vaccination is 63.6%, and the rate of positive tests over the last seven days is 2.1%.

Of the 8,877 total cases, 308 have been reported on Bainbridge Island, 2,377 in Bremerton, 2,051 in Central Kitsap, 1,325 in North Kitsap and 2,816 in South Kitsap.