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Beaufort County had a total 553 confirmed COVID-19 cases as of Thursday, an increase of 15 overnight. There are currently 148 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.

According to the update, 396 of the 553 positive cases have recovered from the virus; nine people have died; seven of those last week.

All active cases are self-isolating, the update reads.

The total number of cases that have been confirmed in the U.S. rose from 5,512,354 Wednesday to 5,565,928 Thursday; these numbers include 1,925,049 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 22,523,192 confirmed cases. Nationwide, 174,051 deaths have been attributed to the virus, an increase of 1,487 overnight.

The number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in North Carolina continued to rise from 147,924 Wednesday to 149,899 Thursday. There have been 2,459 deaths in the state attributed to the virus, an increase of 29 overnight. The state currently has 1,023 COVID-19 associated hospitalizations and 127,749 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 (340), Beaufort (553), Bladen (663), Brunswick (1,337), Carteret (399), Camden (83), Chowan (170) Columbus (1,013), Craven (844), Currituck (86); Dare (218), Duplin (2,043), Edgecombe (792), Gates (66), Greene (355), Halifax (789), Hertford (425), Hyde (64), Jones (120), Lenoir (689), Martin (294), New Hanover (2,770), Northampton (322), Onslow (1,280), Pamlico (77), Pasquotank (468), Pender (716), Perquimans (97), Pitt (2,404), Sampson (1,531), Tyrrell (103), Washington (155), Wayne (2,618) and Wilson (1,604). Durham (6,508), Mecklenburg (23,593) and Wake (13,163) counties have the most cases in North Carolina.

There had been 6,215 tests completed in Beaufort County as of Thursday, with 5,294 negatives, 526 positives and 395 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 approximately 980 tests completed in Beaufort County last week,” the update says.

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