On Wednesday, the Kitsap Public Health District confirmed 44 new COVID cases in the previous 24 hours, bringing the countywide total to 17,120 since the pandemic began in March of 2020.

Of the new cases, North Kitsap had six and Bainbridge Island one; 14 were in South Kitsap, nine in Bremerton and 14 in Central Kitsap.

Over the last week, the county’s case rate per 100,000 residents has dropped to 111.4. A total of 270 cases are in their recommended “isolation period” (10 days after first symptoms.) To date, the number of Kitsap County residents ages 12 and older who have initiated vaccination is 75.9%.

Of the 17,120 total cases, 618 have been reported on Bainbridge Island, 4,576 in Bremerton, 3,791 in Central Kitsap, 2,667 in North Kitsap and 5,464 in South Kitsap. Four cases have come from “unknown” areas of the county.

There have been 237 COVID-related deaths since the pandemic began and 191 since the start of the new year. Details of the three most-recent deaths have not yet been provided by the health district. Of the previous 234 deaths, 95 were ages 80 and older, 57 ages 70-79, 43 ages 60-69, 27 ages 50-59, eight ages 40-49 and four ages 30-39.