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The number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in North Carolina continued to rise from 38,272 Wednesday to 39,536 Thursday. There have been 1,106 deaths in the state attributed to the virus, an increase of 19 deaths overnight. The state currently has 812 COVID-19 associated hospitalizations and 23,653 people are presumed recovered from the virus in North Carolina.

Beaufort County had a total of 48 confirmed cases as of Thursday. Thirty-nine of the 48 confirmed cases have recovered from COVID-19. Nine cases remain active.

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

Of Beaufort County’s total of 48 cases, contact tracing of these known, confirmed cases has concluded:

• 25 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;
• one case is under investigation.

“Two of our newest three cases have been attributed to having direct contact with other known cases and were identified through contract tracing. The third is still under investigation,” the update reads.

All active cases are self-isolating.

The number of confirmed cases in the U.S. rose from 1,996,960 Wednesday to 2,016,630 Thursday; these numbers include 533,504 people in the U.S. presumed recovered from COVID-19. The U.S. has the highest number of cases worldwide; worldwide, there have been 7,449,476 confirmed cases. Nationwide, 113,652 deaths have been attributed to the virus, an increase of 1,106 overnight.

Eastern North Carolina counties with current cases include: Bertie (135), Beaufort (48), Bladen (173), Brunswick (183), Carteret (43), Camden (3), Chowan (19), Columbus (388), Craven (243), Currituck (15); Dare (25), Duplin (1,096), Edgecombe (234), Gates (24), Greene (107), Halifax (231), Hertford (140), Hyde (2), Jones (28), Lenoir (266), Martin (82), New Hanover (304), Northampton (170), Onslow (145), Pamlico (14), Pasquotank (125), Pender (122), Perquimans (28), Pitt (432), Sampson (642), Tyrrell (4), Washington (32), Wayne (1,402) and Wilson (464). Durham (2,370), Mecklenburg (6,155) and Wake (2,370) counties have the most cases in North Carolina.

There had been 1,256 tests completed in Beaufort County as of Thursday, with 1,164 negatives, 44 positives and 48 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.