Cases rise to 738 in Gig Harbor with 2 more deaths; one new death on Key Peninsula
Updated Sunday Dec. 20
Confirmed COVID-19 cases in the Gig Harbor area rose to 738 last week, with two additional deaths. There were 215 cases on the Key Peninsula, with one additional death.
Countywide, the Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department reported 187 new cases and no new deaths Sunday, bringing the Pierce County total to 22,722 cases and 272 deaths.
Deaths reported Thursday, Dec. 17, included a man in his 70s and another in his 60s from the Gig Harbor area. Both had underlying health conditions. On Friday, Dec. 18, the death of a Key Peninsula woman in her 70s was added.
Since the pandemic began in March, the Gig Harbor area has had 9 deaths and the Key Peninsula three.
The Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department has reported 5,029 cases in the 14 days ending Sunday, for an average of 359 a day. The 14-day case rate per 100,000 is 557. The goal is fewer than 25.
Neighborhood numbers
As of Sunday, Dec. 17, there were 158 active cases in the North Gig Harbor/Canterwood area (census tract 072505), 112 cases in the Wollochet area (census tract 072408), 84 cases in the Artondale area (census tract 072406), 50 cases in the Forest Beach-Kopachuck area (Census Tract 072405), 50 cases in the Sunrise Beach/Maplewood area (Census Tract 072506), 24 cases in the downtown area (Census Tract 072507) and 53 cases on Fox Island.
On the Key Peninsula, there were 70 active cases in the Wauna/Purdy area (census tract 072503), 55 in the Vaughn area, (Census Tract 072601), 40 in the mid-Peninsula (Census Tract 072602) and 54 in the Lakebay area (Census Tract 072603), which includes McNeil and Anderson islands.
(Census tract numbers do not add up to the area total of active cases because some patients are presumed recovered.)
School numbers
As of Friday, Dec. 18, The Peninsula School District reported 23 confirmed COVID-19 cases in the schools, 19 of them originating outside the school system.
The district’s “COVID-19 Dashboard” listed five cases at Peninsula High School, three each at Gig Harbor High School, Voyager Elementary School and Goodman Middle School; two each at Purdy Elementary and Artondale Elementary; and one each at Key Peninsula, Kopachuck and Harbor Ridge middle schools and Harbor Heights Elementary school. There was also a single case at the Educational Service Center. Of the total number of cases, four — three at PHS and one at Goodman — originated on campus.
Fourteen people were in quarantine because of close contacts with persons who tested positive. Six were at Voyager Elementary, four at Key Peninsula Middle School, two at Goodman Middle School, and two at Harbor Ridge Middle School.
For privacy reasons, the district was unable to say whether they were students or staff.
The Covid Dashboard is online at .psd401.net/schoolreopening/covid-19-dashboard