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Beaufort County had a total 391 confirmed COVID-19 cases as of Wednesday, an increase of three overnight. There are currently 111 active cases in the county and 14 people are hospitalized, according to the Wednesday 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 weeks, with more than 300 new cases. According to the update, 278 of those positive cases have recovered from the virus. As of Wednesday, there have been two COVID-19-related deaths in the county, according to the update.

Contact tracing of the known, confirmed cases has concluded:

• 174 cases have been attributed to direct contact with another known positive case;
• two cases were related to travel to a known outbreak area;
• 72 cases are attributed to community spread;
• 143 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 4,751,853 Tuesday to 4,818,328 Wednesday; these numbers include 1,576,425 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 18,710,668 confirmed cases. Nationwide, 157,930 deaths have been attributed to the virus, an increase of 1,629 overnight.

The number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in North Carolina continued to rise from 128,715 Tuesday to 129,733 Wednesday. There have been 2,085 deaths in the state attributed to the virus, an increase of 24 overnight. The state currently has 1,167 COVID-19 associated hospitalizations and 105,093 people are presumed recovered from the virus in North Carolina.

Eastern North Carolina counties total COVID-19 cases as of Wednesday numbered (does not include number of recovered): Bertie (254), Beaufort (391), Bladen (596), Brunswick (1,213), Carteret (332), Camden (64), Chowan (145), Columbus (851), Craven (673), Currituck (71); Dare (203), Duplin (1,961), Edgecombe (605), Gates (46), Greene (318), Halifax (657), Hertford (310), Hyde (37), Jones (79), Lenoir (540), Martin (245), New Hanover (2,449), Northampton (329), Onslow (987), Pamlico (65), Pasquotank (360), Pender (633), Perquimans (74), Pitt (1,833), Sampson (1,439), Tyrrell (92), Washington (124), Wayne (2,335) and Wilson (1,447). Durham (5,989), Mecklenburg (21,517) and Wake (11,425) counties have the most cases in North Carolina.

There had been 4,744 tests completed in Beaufort County as of Wednesday, with 4,246 negatives, 382 positives and 116 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.