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The number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in North Carolina continued to rise from 11,745 on Sunday to 11,971 on Monday. There have been 442 deaths in the state attributed to the virus, an increase of 10 overnight. There are currently 498 COVID-19 associated hospitalizations. According to Beaufort County Health Department Director Jim Madson, five of those hospitalizations have been Beaufort County COVID-19 cases; two of those cases have been on ventilators.

In Beaufort County, there were 22 confirmed cases of COVID-19 on Monday. Twenty of the 22 confirmed cases have recovered from COVID-19. Two cases remain active, neither of which are hospitalized.

Five of Beaufort County’s positive cases were asymptomatic, meaning they experienced no symptoms.

The number of confirmed cases in the U.S. rose from 1,154,340 on Sunday to 1,176,905 on Monday; these numbers include the 180,303 people in the U.S. known to have recovered from COVID-19. The U.S. has the highest number of cases worldwide; worldwide, there have been 3,571,615 positive cases. Nationwide, 68,387 deaths have been attributed to the virus, an increase of 940 overnight.

North Carolina has confirmed cases in 99 counties.

Of Beaufort County’s total of 22 cases, contact tracing of these known, confirmed cases has concluded:

• seven cases have been attributed to direct contact with a known patient from another county;
• two cases were related to travel to a known outbreak area;
• 13 cases are attributed to community spread.

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

Eastern North Carolina counties with current cases include: Bertie (48), Beaufort (22), Bladen (29), Brunswick (47), Carteret (29), Camden (2), Chowan (7), Columbus (167), Craven (44), Currituck (5); Dare (15), Duplin (120), Edgecombe (113), Gates (9), Greene (22), Halifax (64), Hertford (44), Hyde (1), Jones (18), Lenoir (84), Martin (21), New Hanover (89), Northampton (92), Onslow (51), Pamlico (8), Pasquotank (37), Pender (17), Perquimans (14), Pitt (135), Sampson (88), Tyrrell (4), Washington (25), Wayne (687) and Wilson (180). Durham (767), Mecklenburg (1,734) and Wake (891) counties have the most cases in North Carolina.

There have been 337 tests completed in Beaufort County as of Monday, with 313 negatives, 19 positives and five pending. These are cumulative numbers and include tests performed at the health department and reporting private medical facilities through the county.

The CDC last week updated its list of possible symptoms of COVID-19, in addition to cough, shortness of breath/difficulty breathing and fever, to include chills, repeated shaking with chills, muscle pain, headache, sore throat and new loss of taste or smell. Those with the following emergency warning signs for COVID-19 should seek medical attention immediately: trouble breathing, persistent pain or pressure in the chest, new confusion or inability to arouse, bluish lips or face. Consult a medical provider for any other symptoms that are severe or concerning.