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The number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in North Carolina continued to rise from 87,669 Monday to 89,534 Tuesday. There have been 1,565 deaths in the state attributed to the virus, an increase of 36 overnight. The state currently has 1,109 COVID-19 associated hospitalizations and 67,124 people are presumed recovered from the virus in North Carolina.

Beaufort County had a total of 157 confirmed cases as of Tuesday, an increase of nine overnight; four COVID-19-positive patients are currently hospitalized in the county, but none are in ICU, according to Jim Madson, director of Beaufort County Health Department.

Beaufort County’s numbers stayed steady through the weekend, but increased by nine on Monday, and nine again on Tuesday. There are currently 40 active COVID-19 cases in Beaufort County.

“Nine of our last 15 cases were identified through contact tracing and have been attributed to having had contact with other known cases. Four were asymptomatic at the time of their test. Four cases are still under investigation. Forty of our total positives were asymptomatic at the time of their test,” reads the Tuesday update from Beaufort County Emergency Services and Beaufort County Health Department.

On June 26, Beaufort County Health Department reported its first death in the county of a resident who tested positive for COVID-19. The person, who was the 56th confirmed case in the county, died June 24.

Contact tracing of the 157 known, confirmed cases has concluded:

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

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

The total number of cases that have been confirmed in the U.S. rose from 3,353,348 Monday to 3,397,069 Tuesday; these numbers include 1,031,856 people in the U.S. presumed recovered from COVID-19, according to the update. The U.S. has the highest total number of cases worldwide; worldwide, there have been 13,177,855 confirmed cases. Nationwide, 136,117 deaths have been attributed to the virus, an increase of 593 overnight, the update reads.

Eastern North Carolina counties total COVID-19 cases as of Tuesday numbered (does not include number of recovered): Bertie (157), Beaufort (157), Bladen (455), Brunswick (832), Carteret (154), Camden (39), Chowan (39), Columbus (646), Craven (470), Currituck (32); Dare (121), Duplin (1,696), Edgecombe (402), Gates (30), Greene (237), Halifax (430), Hertford (181), Hyde (31), Jones (43), Lenoir (432), Martin (172), New Hanover (1,560), Northampton (211), Onslow (448), Pamlico (40), Pasquotank (255), Pender (415), Perquimans (38), Pitt (978), Sampson (1,217), Tyrrell (58), Washington (54), Wayne (2,026) and Wilson (980). Durham (4,655), Mecklenburg (15,680) and Wake (7,737) counties have the most cases in North Carolina.

There had been 2,862 tests completed in Beaufort County as of Tuesday, with 2,523 negatives, 149 positives and 190 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.

“There were 749 tests completed by Beaufort County agencies last week; 341 were completed during our mass testing events last Tuesday and Wednesday; 408 were completed throughout the week by our various partners,” the update reads.