On Wednesday, the Kitsap Public Health District confirmed 37 new positive cases of COVID-19 over the past 24 hours, bringing the countywide total to 7,951 since the pandemic began in March of 2020.

Of the new cases, North Kitsap had seven and Bainbridge Island none. South Kitsap had 14.

A total of 254 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.) 363 “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 is 175.6, meaning the county is once again at a “high level” of coronavirus activity — per state guidelines that means any positive case rate 75 and above.

To date, the number of vaccine doses given by Kitsap facilities is 206,128, and the rate of positive tests over the last seven days is 6.9 percent.

Of the 7,951 total cases, 298 have been reported on Bainbridge Island, 2,119 in Bremerton, 1,821 in Central Kitsap, 1,199 in North Kitsap and 2,514 in South Kitsap.

There have been 109 COVID-related deaths in Kitsap since the pandemic began, 62 since the start of the new year.

Information on the four most recent deaths has not yet been provided by the health district. Of the 105 prior deaths, 53 were community members 80 and older, 28 ages 70-79, 14 ages 60-69, four ages 50-59, three ages 40-49, two ages 30-39, and one ages 0-19. The first 43 people who died all had underlying health conditions, but the district quit releasing that information.