On Wednesday, the Kitsap Public Health District confirmed three additional COVID-related deaths, marking 71 virus-related fatalities since the pandemic began in March of 2020 and 26 such deaths since the start of 2021.

Details on the six most recent deaths have not yet been provided by the health district. Of the previous 65 deaths, 34 were community members 80 and older, 19 ages 70-79, eight ages 60-69, two ages 50-59, and one each for ages 40-49 and 30-39. The health district didn’t list how many had other health conditions, but earlier reported the first 43 people who died all had underlying health conditions.

On Jan. 14, the health district stated about half of the deaths have been linked to outbreaks in long-term care settings. The health district noted that the Madrona House — a long-term care facility on Bainbridge — has an active COVID outbreak of 17 cases so far. In North Kitsap, other active outbreaks at such facilities include Harbor House (15 cases), Liberty Shores (13 cases), and Brookdale Montclair (14 cases).

Additionally, the health district confirmed 18 new positive cases of COVID-19 in the previous 24 hours, bringing the countywide total of positive cases to 5,176 since the pandemic began.

Of the new cases, North Kitsap had four and Bainbridge Island none.

Last week, the health district stated “while a significant number of new cases are still reported each day, our team has noted an overall decline in cases since early January.”

Over the past two weeks, the county’s positive case rate per 100,000 residents has dropped to 133.7, meaning the county is still over a “high level” of coronavirus activity, per state guidelines, with a case rate above 75 over the previous 14 days.

A total of 111 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.) 542 “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).

Of the 5,176 total cases, 243 have been reported on Bainbridge Island, 1,351 in Bremerton, 1,226 in Central Kitsap, 903 in North Kitsap and 1,453 in South Kitsap.

To date, the number of vaccine doses given by Kitsap facilities is 27,964.