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The number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in North Carolina continued to rise from 5,112 on Tuesday to 5,279 on Wednesday. There have been 129 deaths in the state attributed to the virus and currently 431 hospitalizations. According to Beaufort County Health Department Director Jim Madson, four of those hospitalizations have been Beaufort County COVID-19 cases; two of those cases are currently hospitalized.

In Beaufort County, there were 14 confirmed cases of COVID-19 on Wednesday. Eight of the 14 confirmed cases have recovered from COVID-19. Six cases remain active, according to the Wednesday update from Beaufort County’s Office of Emergency Services.

The number of confirmed cases in the U.S. rose from 598,670 Tuesday to 619,604 on Wednesday; these numbers include the 51,056 people in the U.S. known to have recovered from COVID-19. The U.S. has the greatest number of cases worldwide, and there are likely many more cases as those exhibiting symptoms are now being encouraged to stay home rather than get tested. Nationwide, 27,760 deaths have been attributed to the virus, an increase of 2,521 overnight.

North Carolina has confirmed cases in 93 counties.

Of Beaufort County’s total of 14 cases, contact tracing of these known, confirmed cases has concluded:

• one case has been contributed to direct contact with a known patient from another county;
• two cases were related to travel to a known outbreak area;
• 10 cases are attributed to community spread;
• one case is still under investigation.

All active cases are self-isolating, the update reads.

Eastern North Carolina counties with current cases include: Bertie (16), Beaufort (14), Bladen (2), Brunswick (35), Carteret (22), Camden (1), Chowan (5), Columbus (40), Craven (29), Currituck (3); Dare (15), Duplin (23), Edgecombe (36), Gates (4), Greene (16), Halifax (30), Hertford (4), Jones (9), Lenoir (15), Martin (7), New Hanover (62), Northampton (65), Onslow (36), Pamlico (6), Pasquotank (15), Pender (5), Perquimans (12), Pitt (72), Sampson (13), Tyrrell (2), Washington (18), Wayne (87) and Wilson (79). Durham (349), Mecklenburg (1,015) and Wake (509) counties have the most cases in North Carolina.

There have been 160 tests completed in Beaufort County as of Tuesday, with 144 negatives, 12 positives and four pending. These are cumulative numbers and include tests performed at the health department and reporting private medical facilities through the county. Two of Beaufort County’s positive cases were tested in other counties.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services and Beaufort County Health Department/Emergency Services recommend wearing a cloth face mask while in a public setting where you have less ability to control social distancing. Currently, cloth face masks are for sale from the following: AVA Formal, 252-946-0889, $12 single or $10 for two or more; Ingrid Cabaniss, 252-258-4246, $6.50 per mask; Stephanie Cabe, bearabows@yahoo.com, $5 each, shipping is $3.75.