News & Information
COVID-19 Testing Results Update for Kitsap County as of 2 p.m. Aug. 28
St. Michael Bremerton COVID-19 update:
As of Aug. 27, more than 1,600 St. Michael employees in Kitsap County had received COVID-19 testing through a joint effort with the Kitsap County Emergency Operations Center and St. Michael Medical Center. Testing will continue through the week and follow-up testing is planned.
Kitsap Public Health will continue to post daily outbreak updates this weekend on the St. Michael COVID-19 Outbreak Response page. Go to the page to view today's update which includes 54 total confirmed COVID-19 cases as of 4:30 p.m. Aug. 27, including 34 staff and 20 patients. Testing and case investigations are ongoing and reported case numbers are preliminary.
* DATA UPDATE: Due to technical issues, the state Department of Health (DOH) is currently not able to provide an update on total negative COVID-19 test results. On Aug. 26, DOH provided the average number of tests per day in Kitsap County for the past seven days and the percent of tests that were positive. Kitsap Public Health added these numbers to its daily surveillance report.
 Kitsap Public Health Board holds special meeting Sept. 1
The Kitsap Public Health Board will hold a special meeting on Tuesday, Sept. 1, from 12:30 to 1:45 p.m. This meeting will be held virtually due to the COVID-19 pandemic. There is no physical location for this meeting.
The public can use a computer or phone to listen to the meeting and submit verbal comments during the time allotted for public comment. Instructions are listed at the end of the meeting agenda. Zoom participation is capped at 500.
In addition, the meeting will be broadcast live on Comcast channel 12, WAVE Broadband channel 3, the BKAT website, and the Kitsap Public Health District page on Facebook.
The board meeting agenda and documents are posted online.
Caring for your family during COVID
The COVID-19 pandemic has changed our world dramatically — and rapidly. This is a difficult and unprecedented time for parents and caregivers across the state who are doing mental and physical gymnastics to navigate a new and unknown time with their families.
To parents and caregivers: your valiant efforts may feel like they are unseen or unappreciated, but we know your actions, big and small, to support yourself and your children are invaluable. Days may seem long and arduous or fresh and joyous – either way, we are in this together.
"Caring for Your Family During COVID-19" is a guide developed to help you and your family navigate this pandemic and the days to follow. The guide, published by the Department of Children, Youth and Families, has some good tips for supporting parents of young children during the pandemic and includes resources, information and suggestions.
Check it out here.
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Childcare during the pandemic
Before the pandemic, over half a million children in Washington did not have access to licensed child care, and nearly one in five parents surveyed turned down a job offer or promotion due to child care issues, according to a detailed Child Care Industry Assessment Report released by the Department of Commerce this week.
The assessment includes an important analysis of the current state during the pandemic, and how the industry has changed since the beginning of 2020. A number of important findings are quantified in a study commissioned by the state’s Child Care Collaborative Task Force
The task force is set to continue the work of developing a child care cost estimation model, along with workforce compensation and subsidy policy recommendations, expected out this December. This work culminates with a comprehensive strategy and implementation plan targeted for June 2021.
View the related press release and link to the report here.
New report shows COVID cases leveling out in some areas of the state but outbreaks continuing to occur in others
Today the Washington State Department of Health (DOH) released the latest statewide situation report, which reflects an overall plateau and slight decline in COVID-19 cases in some areas.
Report findings include:
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The reproductive number (how many new people each COVID-19 patient will infect) remained close to one as of mid-August. The best estimate of the reproductive number at that time was 0.86 in western Washington and 0.91 in eastern Washington. The goal is a number well below one, which would mean COVID-19 transmission is declining.
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We’re seeing a mix of disease activity across the state. Some counties (including Clark and King) are seeing plateaus, while others experience decreases (including Benton, Franklin, Pierce and Yakima) or increases (including Grant, Lewis and Walla Walla). The report includes a comparison of case, hospitalization and mortality data in these three counties to illustrate how much trends are varying in different areas.
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Outbreaks continue to occur across the state. COVID-19 remains active in many communities. Outbreaks in Walla Walla County (at the Washington State Penitentiary), Whitman County (among off-campus college students), and Kitsap County (at a hospital) highlight our continued susceptibility.
Read the complete press release here.
Useful Links
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