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Beaufort County had a total of 354 confirmed COVID-19 cases as of Thursday, an increase of 15 overnight. There are currently 139 active cases in the county and eight people are hospitalized, according to the Thursday 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, 36 Monday, 15 Tuesday, 15 Wednesday and another 15 Thursday. According to the update, 213 of Beaufort County’s positive cases have recovered from the virus. As of Thursday, there have been two COVID-19-related deaths in the county, according to the update.

“Sixty of our total positives were asymptomatic at the time of their test,” the update reads.

Contact tracing of the known, confirmed cases has concluded:

• 163 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;
• 119 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 4,398,898 Wednesday to 4,472,963; these numbers include 1,389,425 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 17,126,081 confirmed cases. Nationwide, 151,570 deaths have been attributed to the virus, an increase of 1,921 overnight.

The number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in North Carolina continued to rise from 118,387 Wednesday to 120,531 Thursday. There have been 1,921 deaths in the state attributed to the virus, an increase of 33 overnight. The state currently has 1,239 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 Thursday numbered (does not include number of recovered): Bertie (226), Beaufort (354), Bladen (563), Brunswick (1,150), Carteret (279), Camden (55), Chowan (109), Columbus (799), Craven (620), Currituck (70); Dare (188), Duplin (1,900), Edgecombe (560), Gates (38), Greene (287), Halifax (595), Hertford (265), Hyde (37), Jones (55), Lenoir (511), Martin (235), New Hanover (2,283), Northampton (307), Onslow (838), Pamlico (54), Pasquotank (336), Pender (597), Perquimans (62), Pitt (1,639), Sampson (1,402), Tyrrell (91), Washington (114), Wayne (2,285) and Wilson (1,358). Durham (5,687), Mecklenburg (20,261) and Wake (10,684) counties have the most cases in North Carolina.

There had been 4,260 tests completed in Beaufort County as of Thursday, with 3,709 negatives, 345 positives and 206 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.