This newsletter is produced weekly. For more COVID-19 updates, go to kcowa.us/covid19. You can manage your subscriptions using the links at the very bottom of this bulletin. For weekday data updates, see our COVID-19 Surveillance Dashboard at kcowa.us/covid19daily
UPCOMING VACCINATION CLINICS: We are offering a Martin Luther King Jr. Day walk-up vaccination clinic from 10 a.m. to noon, Jan. 17 at the Kitsap County Fairgrounds. Pediatric and adult Pfizer available. See our clinic calendar or scroll down for details.
Hospitalizations increasing; walk-up clinic scheduled for Monday; free at-home test kits available soon
Trends we are tracking
7-day case rate per 100,000 population for Kitsap County
Click the image to view our full, interactive surveillance report, updated every weekday.
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COVID-19 hospitalizations among Kitsap County residents have also reached a new high. In the week ending Jan. 8, 61 new COVID-19 hospitalizations were reported among Kitsap residents, nearly doubling the previous week's total of 33. Unfortunately, we expect hospitalizations will continue to increase based on the volume of cases being reported.
Click the image to view our COVID-19 Hospitalizations and Deaths dashboard.
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Hospitals across the state remain strained by high admissions and staffing shortages. On Thursday, Gov. Inslee announced National Guard assistance for COVID-19 testing and other activities at hospitals. Inslee also announced a four-week pause on non-urgent medical procedures, at the discretion of physicians. Watch the full news conference here.
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You can help reduce the burden on hospitals by:
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Only going to the emergency department if you need immediate medical attention. If you are experiencing a medical emergency, call 911. Do not go to the emergency department for routine COVID-19 testing.
- Reducing your risk of hospitalization for COVID-19 by getting vaccinated and getting your booster shot.
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Fighting the spread of COVID-19 and other respiratory illnesses by staying home when sick, masking, avoiding crowded indoor spaces, and maintaining at least six feet of distance from people outside your household as much as you can.
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COVID-19 outbreaks (clusters of cases linked within settings such as workplaces or congregate living facilities) are also spiking. Fifty-nine outbreaks were active in the week ending Jan. 8, marking the highest total to date. Due to the extremely high volume of cases and outbreaks being reported, Kitsap Public Health is no longer updating the outbreaks page with information about specific outbreaks. We continue to assist organizations as they respond to outbreaks and will continue sharing outbreak data. (see our Summary Metrics and Youth and Schools dashboards).
COVID-19 activity is very high in every part of the county. Residents should assume they could be exposed to COVID-19 in any setting they visit, regardless of whether an outbreak has been reported.
- Kitsap County passed another vaccination milestone this week, with more than 200,000 residents having now received at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccine. This means 74% of our total population has started vaccination. 67% have completed their primary vaccine series and 26.5% have received booster doses.
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Find daily (weekday) data updates here and view all of our weekly COVID-19 data dashboards here.
More at-home testing kits available soon
As demand for COVID-19 testing soars, the state and federal governments are working to increase availability of at-home testing kits:
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At the federal level, the Biden administration announced Americans will be able to request free at-home testing kits online, beginning Jan. 19. The administration is ordering 500 million tests to make available directly to households. Starting Jan. 15, private health insurance companies will be required to cover the cost of at-home COVID-19 tests.
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The state Department of Health is preparing to make 5.5 million at-home test kits available to Washingtonians. An online ordering portal for Washington residents will be announced soon. The state is also distributing test kits directly to schools.
- As part of the state's test-kit allocation plan, Kitsap Public Health District has placed an order for 20,000 test kits to distribute to organizations in our community. To support equitable access to testing, Kitsap Public Health will prioritize distribution to organizations that serve populations with barriers to getting tested and populations at high-risk from COVID-19.
If you need COVID-19 testing, please see our testing page for additional resources.
Martin Luther King Jr. Day pop-up vaccination clinic
The Kitsap Public Health District, in collaboration with Ebenezer AME Church, will host a special Martin Luther King Jr. Day COVID-19 vaccination clinic on Monday, Jan. 17 at the Kitsap County Fairgrounds President's Hall.
Join us from 10 a.m. to noon to get vaccinated or get your vaccination questions answered. We will be offering Pfizer vaccination (first, second, or booster dose) for ages 12 and older, and pediatric Pfizer vaccination for children ages 5-11.
This is a walk-up clinic only. No appointment needed.
Note: The 28th Annual Kitsap County Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day Celebration originally scheduled for Jan. 17 at the Fairgrounds has been postponed and will be held as a virtual event on Jan. 31.
Looking for a vaccination or testing appointment?
🩹 COVID-19 VACCINATION:
🧪 COVID-19 TESTING:
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PRINTABLE WEEKLY OUTLOOK
Download our weekly outlook report as a PDF that you can print and share in your community. Thank you for spreading reliable information about COVID-19!
Looking for an image file to share? Click here.
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Numbers to know
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As of Jan. 11, 74.1% of all Kitsap residents (ages 0+) have received at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccine and 66.9% are fully vaccinated. More than 201,500 Kitsap residents have received at least one dose of vaccine. Of the Kitsap residents eligible to get the COVID-19 vaccine (ages 5+), 78.7% have received at least one dose and 71.2% are fully vaccinated.
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3,447 COVID-19 cases were reported in our county in the most recent week with full data available (week ending Jan. 8): 263 cases on Bainbridge Island, 901 cases in Bremerton, 797 in Central Kitsap, 511 in North Kitsap, and 958 in South Kitsap, and 17 undetermined.
- Kitsap County's rate of cases per 100,000 population over 7 days was 1,277 as of Jan. 14 (includes cases reported through Jan. 9). The rate of cases reported in Kitsap is increasing very rapidly. COVID-19 transmission is at a "high" level in our county, per the CDC.
- For the week ending Jan. 8, there were 61 new Kitsap resident COVID-19 hospitalizations; there were 33 the week prior. The number of Kitsap residents hospitalized with COVID-19 is increasing.
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265 Kitsap resident COVID-19-associated deaths have been reported to date.
- Find more local COVID-19 data at kcowa.us/covid19data
COVID-19 PREVENTION: LET'S GET BACK TO BASICS
Indoor gatherings and the arrival of Omicron increase the risk for getting and spreading COVID-19 this winter. Now is a good time to get back to basics and focus on using the tools we know work to prevent the spread of respiratory illnesses:
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Vaccination: Vaccines are expected to protect against severe illness, hospitalizations, and deaths due to infection with the Omicron variant, especially for those who are fully vaccinated and have received a booster shot. Learn more about vaccination options in Kitsap.
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Masking: A mask is required in indoor public spaces and large outdoor events in Washington. To increase your protection, consider wearing a mask anytime you are around people from outside of your household. Wear a mask that fits snugly over your mouth and nose.
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Distancing: Avoid crowded indoor settings and gatherings in poorly ventilated indoor spaces. Increase your protection by maintaining at least 6 feet of distance from people outside of your household as much as possible.
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Washing hands: Wash for at least 20 seconds with soap and water. Carry hand sanitizer with you.
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Testing: Whether you are vaccinated or not, help keep people around you safe by avoiding contact with others and getting tested if you have symptoms of COVID-19 or have been exposed to someone with COVID-19. Follow all public health guidance if you test positive.
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Staying home when sick: If you feel sick, stay home as much as you can, except to seek medical care. Many respiratory illnesses are circulating in our community this winter. Do your best to avoid getting others sick.
- Find more prevention tips here.
QUESTIONS? CONTACT: pio@kitsappublichealth.org
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