The latest local and statewide data show COVID-19 transmission at a crossroads in Kitsap County and across Washington.

The rate of new COVID-19 cases reported in Kitsap has declined somewhat since July and August, but a significant number of cases are still reported daily. On Friday, the Washington State Department of Health released a situation report showing case counts decreasing overall in both eastern and western Washington, though some counties are experiencing plateaus or increases in disease activity.

As a community, we can keep pushing case counts in the right direction by wearing masks, staying at least six feet apart from others, remaining home anytime we feel sick, and getting tested right away if we have any COVID-19 symptoms. Case numbers could climb again heading into fall if we let our guard down now.

As the Department of Health noted:

• We can crush the curve heading into fall if we all make some small improvements to our current efforts to contain the virus. We’ve held the reproductive number (how many new people each COVID-19 patient will infect) close to 1 across the state since July. As of September 10, the best estimates of the reproductive number were 1.14 in western Washington and 0.92 in eastern Washington. The goal is a number well below one, which would mean COVID-19 transmission is declining. 
• We continue to see significant differences in disease activity from county to county. Benton, Clark, Franklin, Pierce and Spokane counties are experiencing plateaus in their case counts. This is a concerning trend, since COVID-19 risk may increase going into the fall.
• We are at a crossroads statewide as people begin to spend more time indoors and some schools move to hybrid or other in-person models. Even slight increases in transmission due to these changes, may result in exponential growth. However, if we collectively make small improvements to our behavior and environments, we could decrease transmission enough to allow further K-12 school reopening.

“As the weather gets colder and people spend more time indoors, we must all take precautions to reduce the risk of COVID-19,” said State Health Officer Dr. Kathy Lofy. “If you gather inside with people outside your household, it’s critical to keep the group as small as possible. Limit the length of time you spend together and the number of gatherings you have. Everyone should wear face coverings and stay at least six feet apart. Opening windows can also improve ventilation, even if it means wearing extra layers to stay warm.”