Youth still slammed by COVID

Youth continue to be slammed by the COVID-19 epidemic.

While the case rate overall per 100,000 people is declining at 188, it’s 306 for those ages 5-18 in Kitsap County.

The seven-day incidence rate is 60% higher for youth. There were 15 school outbreaks as of late last week. The COVID rate overall during that same time period was 9.2 times higher among people not vaccinated.

The Kitsap Public Health District reported its 200th COVID death recently. It took about a year to reach 100, but only six months to reach 200. The highest number of any month was reported in September at 52.

For the week ending Oct. 2, there were 30 new COVID hospitalizations, compared with 31 the week before.

About 517 cases were reported from Sept. 27-Oct. 3 with 26 on Bainbridge Island, 150 in Bremerton, 90 in Central Kitsap, 85 in North Kitsap, 164 in South Kitsap and two undetermined.

A person who had a rare blood-clotting syndrome in King County after getting the Johnson and Johnson vaccine was the fourth nationwide out of 14.9 million doses. About 47 people recovered from the same syndrome. Two cases of it have been reported out of 376 million doses of Moderna.

About 67% of those ages 12 and older are fully vaccinated, compared with 71% statewide.

Testing sites are still available from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. in Bainbridge Island on Mondays and Poulsbo on Tuesdays.