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The number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in North Carolina continued to rise from 16,695 Thursday to 17,277 Friday. There have been 661 deaths in the state attributed to the virus, an increase of 24 overnight. The state currently has 492 COVID-19 associated hospitalizations and 9,115 people have recovered from the virus in North Carolina, according to the Friday update from Beaufort County Emergency Services and Beaufort County Health Department.

In Beaufort County, there were 30 confirmed cases on Friday. Twenty-three of the 30 confirmed cases have recovered from COVID-19. Seven cases are active.

“Our three newest cases have been attributed to having direct contact with other known cases,” the update reads.

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

The number of confirmed cases in the U.S. rose from 1,405,961 Thursday to 1,432,045 cases Friday; these numbers include the 246,414 people in the U.S. presumed recovered from COVID-19. The U.S. has the highest number of cases worldwide; worldwide, there have been 4,516,360 confirmed cases. Nationwide, 86,851 deaths have been attributed to the virus, an increase of 1,657 overnight.

North Carolina has confirmed cases in 99 counties.

Of Beaufort County’s total of 30 cases, contact tracing of these known, confirmed cases has concluded:

• 10 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;
• 16 cases are attributed to community spread;
• one case is still under investigation.

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

Eastern North Carolina counties with current cases include: Bertie (76), Beaufort (30), Bladen (68), Brunswick (51), Carteret (36), Camden (2), Chowan (12), Columbus (229), Craven (81), Currituck (11); Dare (21), Duplin (338), Edgecombe (164), Gates (13), Greene (40), Halifax (107), Hertford (51), Hyde (1), Jones (21), Lenoir (141), Martin (34), New Hanover (124), Northampton (129), Onslow (67), Pamlico (8), Pasquotank (83), Pender (43), Perquimans (21), Pitt (196), Sampson (219), Tyrrell (4), Washington (26), Wayne (801) and Wilson (222). Durham (949), Mecklenburg (2,385) and Wake (1,143) counties have the most cases in North Carolina.

There had been 553 tests completed in Beaufort County as of Friday, with 481 negatives, 27 positives and 45 pending. These are cumulative numbers and include tests performed at the health department and reporting private medical facilities through the county. Three of Beaufort County’s number 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 6 feet apart and wash your hands often.