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The number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in North Carolina continued to rise from 57,472 Thursday to 59,158 Friday. There have been 1,348 deaths in the state attributed to the virus, an increase of 12 overnight. The state currently has 892 COVID-19 associated hospitalizations and 36,921 people are presumed recovered from the virus in North Carolina.

Beaufort County had a total of 75 confirmed cases as of Friday, an increase of 11 over the previous two days. Fifty-two of the 75 confirmed cases have recovered from COVID-19. Twenty-two cases remain active; one person is currently hospitalized, according to the Friday update from Beaufort County Emergency Services and Beaufort County Health Department.

“Beaufort County Health Department is reporting its first death in the county of a resident who tested positive for COVID-19,” the update reads.

Twenty-three of Beaufort County’s positive cases were asymptomatic, meaning they experienced no symptoms.

Of Beaufort County’s total of 75 cases, contact tracing of these known, confirmed cases has concluded:

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

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

The number of confirmed cases in the U.S. rose from 2,410,279 Thursday to 2,453,044 Friday; these numbers include 663,562 people in the U.S. presumed recovered from COVID-19. The U.S. has the highest number of cases worldwide; worldwide, there have been 9,695,374 confirmed cases. Nationwide, 124,891 deaths have been attributed to the virus, an increase of 2,410 overnight.

Eastern North Carolina counties with current cases as of Friday include: Bertie (140), Beaufort (75), Bladen (344), Brunswick (440), Carteret (67), Camden (23), Chowan (19), Columbus (494), Craven (338), Currituck (16); Dare (40), Duplin (1,398), Edgecombe (298), Gates (26), Greene (164), Halifax (297), Hertford (157), Hyde (6), Jones (32), Lenoir (352), Martin (122), New Hanover (765), Northampton (193), Onslow (243), Pamlico (18), Pasquotank (180), Pender (221), Perquimans (32), Pitt (638), Sampson (973), Tyrrell (8), Washington (37), Wayne (1,724) and Wilson (665). Durham (3,451), Mecklenburg (9,944) and Wake (4,551) counties have the most cases in North Carolina.

There had been 1,936 tests completed in Beaufort County as of Friday, with 1,717 negatives, 67 positives and 152 pending. These are cumulative numbers and include tests performed at the health department and reporting private medical facilities through the county. Eight 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 six feet apart and wash your hands often.