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Beaufort County had a total 406 confirmed COVID-19 cases as of Thursday, an increase of three overnight. There are currently 117 active cases in the county and 12 people are hospitalized, according to the Thursday 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, 287 of those 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.

Contact tracing of the known, confirmed cases has concluded:

• 185 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;
• 147 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 4,818,328 Wednesday to 4,870,368 Thursday; these numbers include 1,598,624 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 18,923,922 confirmed cases. Nationwide, 159,864 deaths have been attributed to the virus, an increase of 1,934 overnight.

The number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in North Carolina continued to rise from 129,733 Wednesday to 131,802 Thursday. There have been 2,126 deaths in the state attributed to the virus, an increase of 41 overnight. The state currently has 1,147 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 Thursday numbered (does not include number of recovered): Bertie (263), Beaufort (406), Bladen (606), Brunswick (1,231), Carteret (332), Camden (65), Chowan (148), Columbus (864), Craven (695), Currituck (71); Dare (203), Duplin (1,966), Edgecombe (616), Gates (45), Greene (322), Halifax (668), Hertford (314), Hyde (38), Jones (79), Lenoir (553), Martin (257), New Hanover (2,566), Northampton (329), Onslow (1,015), Pamlico (67), Pasquotank (371), Pender (638), Perquimans (76), Pitt (1,875), Sampson (1,453), Tyrrell (94), Washington (131), Wayne (2,372) and Wilson (1,476). Durham (6,038), Mecklenburg (21,704) and Wake (11,576) counties have the most cases in North Carolina.

There had been 4,864 tests completed in Beaufort County as of Thursday, with 4,345 negatives, 397 positives and 122 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.