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The number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in North Carolina continued to rise from 37,206 Tuesday to 38,272 Wednesday. There have been 1,087 deaths in the state attributed to the virus, an increase of 19 deaths overnight. The state currently has 780 COVID-19 associated hospitalizations and 23,653 people are presumed recovered from the virus in North Carolina.

Beaufort County had a total of 45 confirmed cases as of Wednesday. Thirty-nine of the 45 confirmed cases have recovered from COVID-19. Six cases remain active.

Sixteen of Beaufort County’s positive cases were asymptomatic, meaning they experienced no symptoms, according to the Wednesday update from Beaufort County Emergency Services and Beaufort County Health Department.

Of Beaufort County’s total of 45 cases, contact tracing of these known, confirmed cases has concluded:

• 23 cases have been attributed to direct contact with another known positive case;
• two cases were related to travel to a known outbreak area;
• 20 cases are attributed to community spread.

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

The number of confirmed cases in the U.S. rose from 1,973,803 Tuesday to 1,996,960 Wednesday; these numbers include 524,855 people in the U.S. presumed recovered from COVID-19. The U.S. has the highest number of cases worldwide; worldwide, there have been 7,302,445 confirmed cases. Nationwide, 112,647 deaths have been attributed to the virus, an increase of 647 overnight.

Eastern North Carolina counties with current cases include: Bertie (134), Beaufort (45), Bladen (165), Brunswick (163), Carteret (42), Camden (3), Chowan (18), Columbus (379), Craven (241), Currituck (15); Dare (25), Duplin (1,072), Edgecombe (231), Gates (24), Greene (106), Halifax (219), Hertford (140), Hyde (2), Jones (28), Lenoir (261), Martin (78), New Hanover (281), Northampton (170), Onslow (136), Pamlico (13), Pasquotank (120), Pender (117), Perquimans (26), Pitt (416), Sampson (627), Tyrrell (4), Washington (32), Wayne (1,367) and Wilson (456). Durham (2,284), Mecklenburg (5,861) and Wake (2,448) counties have the most cases in North Carolina.

There had been 1,233 tests completed in Beaufort County as of Wednesday, with 1,130 negatives, 41 positives and 62 pending. These are cumulative numbers and include tests performed at the health department and reporting private medical facilities through the county. Four of Beaufort County’s cases were tested in other counties but are Beaufort County residents.

The update reminded county residents to “practice the Three W’s:” wear face coverings, wait 6 feet apart and wash your hands often.