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The number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in North Carolina continued to rise from 91,471 Wednesday to 93,708 Thursday. There have been 1,607 deaths in the state attributed to the virus, an increase of 23 overnight. The state currently has 1,142 COVID-19 associated hospitalizations and 67,124 people are presumed recovered from the virus in North Carolina.

Beaufort County had a total of 179 confirmed cases as of Thursday, an increase of eight overnight; four COVID-19-positive patients are currently hospitalized in the county,

Beaufort County’s numbers stayed steady through the weekend, but increased by nine Monday, nine Tuesday, 14 Wednesday and eight Thursday. There are currently 47 active COVID-19 cases in Beaufort County, 131 people have recovered from the virus, and one person died on June 24.  That person was the 56th person in the county to test positive for the virus.

“Thirteen of our last 22 cases were identified through contact tracing. Four have been attributed to community spread, and five are still under investigation. Seventeen of our newest cases were symptomatic at the time of their test, while five were asymptomatic. Forty-five of our total positives were asymptomatic at the time of their test,” reads the Thursday update from Beaufort County Emergency Services and Beaufort County Health Department.

Contact tracing of the 179 known, confirmed cases has concluded:

• 117 cases have been attributed to direct contact with another known positive case;
• two cases were related to travel to a known outbreak area;
• 55 cases are attributed to community spread;
• five 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 3,465,031 Wednesday to 3,549,451 Thursday; these numbers include 1,075,882 people in the U.S. presumed recovered from COVID-19, according to the update. The U.S. has the highest total number of cases worldwide; worldwide, there have been 13,670,822 confirmed cases. Nationwide, 138,072 deaths have been attributed to the virus, an increase of 1,132 overnight, the update reads.

Eastern North Carolina counties total COVID-19 cases as of Thursday numbered (does not include number of recovered): Bertie (163), Beaufort (179), Bladen (464), Brunswick (875), Carteret (171), Camden (42), Chowan (43), Columbus (658), Craven (487), Currituck (35); Dare (124), Duplin (1,728), Edgecombe (415), Gates (30), Greene (242), Halifax (443), Hertford (184), Hyde (33), Jones (43), Lenoir (439), Martin (176), New Hanover (1,652), Northampton (230), Onslow (489), Pamlico (42), Pasquotank (262), Pender (430), Perquimans (43), Pitt (1,040), Sampson (1,260), Tyrrell (63), Washington (57), Wayne (2,055) and Wilson (1,055). Durham (4,827), Mecklenburg (16,360) and Wake (8,198) counties have the most cases in North Carolina.

There had been 3,029 tests completed in Beaufort County as of Thursday, with 2,640 negatives, 171 positives and 218 pending. These are cumulative numbers and include tests performed at the health department and reporting private medical facilities through the county. Eight 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.

“There were 749 tests completed by Beaufort County agencies last week; 341 were completed during our mass testing events last Tuesday and Wednesday; 408 were completed throughout the week by our various partners,” the update reads.