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The number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in North Carolina continued to rise from 25,751 on Thursday to 26,599 Friday. There have been 902 deaths in the state attributed to the virus, an increase of 47 deaths overnight. The state currently has 680 COVID-19 associated hospitalizations and 14,954 people are presumed recovered from the virus in North Carolina, according to the Friday update from Beaufort County Emergency Services and Beaufort County Health Department.

Beaufort County has had a total of 36 confirmed cases as of Friday. Thirty-five of the 36 confirmed cases have recovered from COVID-19. One case remain active.

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

The number of confirmed cases in the U.S. rose from 1,715,811 on Thursday to 1,735,971 Friday; these numbers include 399,991 people in the U.S. presumed recovered from COVID-19. The U.S. has the highest number of cases worldwide; worldwide, there have been 5,878,701 confirmed cases. Nationwide, 102,516 deaths have been attributed to the virus, an increase of 1,139 overnight.

North Carolina has had confirmed cases in 100 counties.

Of Beaufort County’s total of 36 cases, contact tracing of these known, confirmed cases has concluded:

• 16 cases have been attributed to direct contact with another known positive case;
• two cases were related to travel to a known outbreak area;
• 18 cases are attributed to community spread.

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

Eastern North Carolina counties with current cases include: Bertie (119), Beaufort (36), Bladen (95), Brunswick (83), Carteret (37), Camden (3), Chowan (17), Columbus (323), Craven (192), Currituck (15); Dare (22), Duplin (750), Edgecombe (190), Gates (25), Greene (70), Halifax (167), Hertford (89), Hyde (1), Jones (28), Lenoir (209), Martin (65), New Hanover (180), Northampton (149), Onslow (100), Pamlico (10), Pasquotank (104), Pender (76), Perquimans (24), Pitt (286), Sampson (429), Tyrrell (4), Washington (27), Wayne (1,088) and Wilson (338). Durham (1,441), Mecklenburg (3,837) and Wake (1,613) counties have the most cases in North Carolina.

There had been 904 tests completed in Beaufort County as of Friday, with 825 negatives, 33 positives and 46 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 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 6 feet apart and wash your hands often.