News & Information
COVID-19 Testing Results Update for Kitsap County as of 11 a.m. Oct. 24
View the COVID-19 Risk Assessment Dashboard for the latest data.
Make game day and the holidays safe for everyone
This time of year, families and friends will be making choices about whether or not to gather for celebrations, game days or other seasonal events.
Gathering in groups—even with people we know—may spread COVID-19. The more people we interact with at a gathering and the longer that interaction lasts, the higher the risk of becoming infected.
The safest action, especially if you’re in a high-risk category, is to avoid gatherings and find different ways to celebrate.
Check out this site from the Washington State Department of Health for ways to host safer gatherings and refer to this checklist to help decide whether to get together with friends and family outside your household.
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More college students eligible for help as COVID-19 threatens their financial and food security
For thousands of students enrolled in Washington’s community and technical colleges, it’s not just homework and studying they worry about. For them, it’s more basic: they need help paying for things like food, school supplies, books, child care and housing. Now, more help is here.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture recently approved Washington’s proposal to allow low-income students in a wider range of certificate, degree and industry-recognized programs to receive food assistance through the state’s Basic Food Employment and Training Program, or BFET, provided they meet all the other eligibility criteria.
Once students qualify for food assistance and enroll in the BFET program, they receive other benefits like tuition assistance, job-search services and financial help for basic needs like school supplies, books, child care, housing, utilities, medical bills and clothing.
Even before the pandemic-related economic downturn, a February report by the Hope Center for College, Community and Justice at Temple University showed six in 10 Washington community and technical college students experienced hunger or housing insecurity in the previous year, even though most were working.
Read the full press release here. To learn more about eligibility for the BFET program, click here.
Inslee announces COVID-19 Immigrant Relief Fund now open for applications
Gov. Jay Inslee announced Friday the Washington COVID-19 Immigrant Relief Fund is now open for applications. The relief fund will provide $40 million in federal funds allocated by the state to assist Washington workers who miss work due to COVID-19, but are unable to access federal stimulus programs and other social supports due to their immigration status. While the fund is operational, eligible recipients will receive $1,000, with a limit of $3,000 per household.
Read the full news release here.
Department of Health to release monthly report on Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children
The Washington State Department of Health is releasing new data monthly about how many cases of Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children (MIS-C) are occurring statewide.
MIS-C is a condition that causes inflammation in different body parts, including the heart, lungs, kidneys, brain, skin, eyes, or gastrointestinal organs. Children with MIS-C may have a fever and symptoms such as abdominal pain, vomiting, diarrhea, neck pain, rash, bloodshot eyes, or feeling extra tired.
While we do not yet know what causes MIS-C, we know that many children with MIS-C had the virus that causes COVID-19. To learn more and find a link to the report, click here.
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