On Wednesday, the Kitsap Public Health District confirmed two more COVID-related deaths, bringing the countywide total to 135 since the pandemic began in March of 2020 and 89 since the new year began.

Information on the four most-recent deaths has not yet been provided by the health district. Of the prior 131 deaths, 60 were ages 80 and older, 30 ages 70-79, 24 ages 60-69, 12 ages 50-59, three ages 40-49 and two ages 30-39.

Additionally, 109 new COVID cases were confirmed in the previous 24 hours, bringing the countywide total to 12,010 since the pandemic began.

Of the new cases, North Kitsap had four and Bainbridge Island one; 42 were in South Kitsap, 36 in Bremerton and 26 in Central Kitsap.

A total of 543 cases are in their recommended isolation period” (10 days after first symptoms.) 146 “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 233.7, which is way 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 ages 12 and older who have initiated vaccination is 68.6%.

Of the 12,010 total cases, 455 have been reported on Bainbridge Island, 3,253 in Bremerton, 2,741 in Central Kitsap, 1,786 in North Kitsap and 3,775 in South Kitsap.