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Beaufort County had a total of 373 confirmed COVID-19 cases as of Sunday, an increase of 10 over the weekend. There are currently 158 active cases in the county and seven people are hospitalized, according to the Sunday update from Beaufort County Emergency Services and Beaufort County Health Department.

Beaufort County’s number of total cases has increased dramatically over the last three week, with more than 300 new cases. According to the update, 213 of those positive cases have recovered from the virus. As of Sunday, there have been two COVID-19-related deaths in the county, according to the update.

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;
• 138 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 4,603,204 Saturday to 4,657,625 Sunday; these numbers include 1,461,885 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 17,952,324 confirmed cases. Nationwide, 154,793 deaths have been attributed to the virus, an increase of 807 overnight.

The number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in North Carolina continued to rise from 124,006 Saturday to 125,330 Sunday. There have been 1,983 deaths in the state attributed to the virus, an increase of four overnight. The state currently has 1,142 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 Sunday numbered (does not include number of recovered): Bertie (247), Beaufort (373), Bladen (584), Brunswick (1,188), Carteret (295), Camden (63), Chowan (138), Columbus (826), Craven (631), Currituck (70); Dare (199), Duplin (1,937), Edgecombe (579), Gates (43), Greene (308), Halifax (639), Hertford (283), Hyde (37), Jones (59), Lenoir (535), Martin (239), New Hanover (2,337), Northampton (307), Onslow (930), Pamlico (58), Pasquotank (351), Pender (619), Perquimans (67), Pitt (1,766), Sampson (1,421), Tyrrell (91), Washington (120), Wayne (2,312) and Wilson (1,399). Durham (5,871), Mecklenburg (20,864) and Wake (11,113) counties have the most cases in North Carolina.

There had been 4,393 tests completed in Beaufort County as of Sunday, with 3,841 negatives, 364 positives and 188 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.

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