Fifteen now dead as Gig Harbor, Key Peninsula COVID-19 cases pass 1,200 mark

Confirmed COVID-19 cases in Gig Harbor reached 934 this week, with 12 deaths, according to the Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department. The Key Peninsula had 273 cases and three deaths.

As of Thursday, Jan. 14, the total number of confirmed cases in Pierce County had reached 29,328, with 355 deaths.

Pierce County reported 3,973 cases in the 14 days ending Thursday, for a daily average of 283. The 14-day case rate per 100,000 population was 440. The target is fewer than 25.

Neighborhood numbers

As of Thursday, Jan. 14, there had been 206 total cases in the North Gig Harbor/Canterwood area (census tract 072505), 130 cases in the Wollochet area (census tract 072408), 102 cases in the Artondale area (census tract 072406), 75 cases in the Forest Beach-Kopachuck area (Census Tract 072405), 61 cases in the Sunrise Beach/Maplewood area (Census Tract 072506), 36 cases in the downtown area (Census Tract 072507) and 58 cases on Fox Island.

Thirty-five cases have been reported at Heron’s Key, a long-term health facility in the North Gig Harbor area, with three deaths since late November.

On the Key Peninsula, there have been 83 total cases in the Wauna/Purdy area (census tract 072503), 79 in the Vaughn area, (Census Tract 072601), 52 in the mid-Peninsula (Census Tract 072602) and 72 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 Thursday, Jan. 12, The Peninsula School District reported 26 confirmed COVID-19 cases in the schools, 22 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 one each at Harbor Heights and Vaughn elementary schools. There were also two cases at the Educational Service Center. Of the total number of cases, four — three at PHS and one at Goodman — originated on campus.

Eleven individuals were in quarantine after having been in close contact with infected persons: Seven at Peninsula High School, one each at Vaughn and Purdy elementary schools, and two at the Educational Service Center. Due to privacy regulations, the district was unable to say whether they were staff or students.

The Covid Dashboard is online at .psd401.net/schoolreopening/covid-19-dashboard

This story was originally published January 13, 2021 at 5:30 AM.