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COVID-19 cases in North Carolina continue to grow, rising from 33 on Monday to 56 on Tuesday. There are no deaths in North Carolina caused by the virus.

The number of cases in the U.S. went from 3,526 on Monday to 5,853 on Tuesday, and 97 deaths are attributed to the virus nationwide. Seven percent of all active cases are considered serious, requiring hospitalization — down from 16% three weeks ago, according to Beaufort County’s Office of Emergency Services.

In North Carolina, COVID-19 in confirmed present in 18 counties: Watauga in the western region of the state; Cabarrus, Chatham, Durham, Forsyth, Iredell, Mecklenburg and Wake counties in Piedmont region; and Brunswick, Craven, Harnett, Johnston, Onslow, Sampson, Wayne and Wilson counties in eastern North Carolina.

“Given the social and travel habits of today’s population, we must also acknowledge that we will most likely have cases in Beaufort County,” reads an BCES update released at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday. “We expect that and are prepared to respond accordingly. The announcement of a local case, or cases, should serve as a reminder of the importance of practicing our mitigation efforts and not simply a source for panic.”