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Beaufort County had a total of 324 confirmed COVID-19 cases as of Tuesday, an increase of 11 overnight. There are currently 131 active cases in the county and 10 people are hospitalized, according to the Tuesday update from Beaufort County Emergency Services and Beaufort County Health Department.

Beaufort County’s numbers increased by 49 new cases two weeks ago, 89 cases last week, and 36 on Monday. According to the update, 191 of Beaufort County’s positive cases have recovered from the virus. As of Tuesday, there have been two COVID-19-related deaths in the county, according to the update.

“All of today’s cases are currently under investigation, reads the Tuesday update. “Fifty-one of our total positives were asymptomatic at the time of their test.”

Contact tracing of the known, confirmed cases has concluded:

• 147 cases have been attributed to direct contact with another known positive case;
• two cases were related to travel to a known outbreak area;
• 70 cases are attributed to community spread;
• 105 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 4,271,070 Monday to 4,309,230; these numbers include 1,325,804 people in the U.S. presumed recovered from COVID-19. The U.S. has the highest total number of cases worldwide; worldwide, there have been 16,540,137 confirmed cases. Nationwide, 148,298 deaths have been attributed to the virus, an increase of 1,045 overnight.

The number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in North Carolina continued to rise from 114,756 Monday to 115,607 Tuesday. There have been 1,841 deaths in the state attributed to the virus, an increase of eight overnight. The state currently has 1,244 COVID-19 associated hospitalizations and 92,302 people are presumed recovered from the virus in North Carolina.

Eastern North Carolina counties total COVID-19 cases as of Tuesday numbered (does not include number of recovered): Bertie (215), Beaufort (324), Bladen (536), Brunswick (1,075), Carteret (279), Camden (52), Chowan (104), Columbus (765), Craven (611), Currituck (66); Dare (184), Duplin (1,874), Edgecombe (526), Gates (37), Greene (277), Halifax (573), Hertford (237), Hyde (36), Jones (50), Lenoir (491), Martin (216), New Hanover (2,212), Northampton (297), Onslow (838), Pamlico (54), Pasquotank (305), Pender (569), Perquimans (56), Pitt (1,519), Sampson (1,386), Tyrrell (90), Washington (108), Wayne (2,254) and Wilson (1,316). Durham (5,566), Mecklenburg (19,480) and Wake (10,240) counties have the most cases in North Carolina.

There had been 4,052 tests completed in Beaufort County as of Monday, with 3,506 negatives, 304 positives and 242 pending. These are cumulative numbers and include tests performed at the health department and reporting private medical facilities through the county. Nine of Beaufort County’s cases were tested in other counties but are Beaufort County residents. There were 837 tests conducted in Beaufort County last week, the update states.

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