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The number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in North Carolina continued to rise from 30,023 Tuesday to 30,989 Wednesday. There have been 980 deaths in the state attributed to the virus, an increase of 19 deaths overnight. The state currently has 684 COVID-19 associated hospitalizations and 18,860 people are presumed recovered from the virus in North Carolina.

Beaufort County had a total of 41 confirmed cases as of Wednesday. Thirty-six of the 41 confirmed cases have recovered from COVID-19. Five cases remain active.

“Our four most recent cases have been attributed to having direct contact with another positive case,” according to the Wednesday update from Beaufort County Emergency Services and Beaufort County Health Department.

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

Of Beaufort County’s total of 41 cases, contact tracing of these known, confirmed cases has concluded:

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

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

The number of confirmed cases in the U.S. rose from 1,820,523 Tuesday to 1, 841,629 Wednesday; these numbers include 463,868 people in the U.S. presumed recovered from COVID-19. The U.S. has the highest number of cases worldwide; worldwide, there have been 6,445,457 confirmed cases. Nationwide, 106,696 deaths have been attributed to the virus, an increase of 1,052 overnight.

Eastern North Carolina counties with current cases include: Bertie (126), Beaufort (41), Bladen (106), Brunswick (110), Carteret (37), Camden (3), Chowan (17), Columbus (343), Craven (210), Currituck (14); Dare (22), Duplin (890), Edgecombe (219), Gates (24), Greene (81), Halifax (187), Hertford (132), Hyde (2), Jones (28), Lenoir (217), Martin (73), New Hanover (215), Northampton (163), Onslow (114), Pamlico (10), Pasquotank (112), Pender (83), Perquimans (25), Pitt (321), Sampson (509), Tyrrell (4), Washington (32), Wayne (1,188) and Wilson (370). Durham (1,774), Mecklenburg (4,670) and Wake (1,894) counties have the most cases in North Carolina.

There had been 1,060 tests completed in Beaufort County as of Wednesday, with 976 negatives, 37 positives and 47 pending. These are cumulative numbers and include tests performed at the health department and reporting private medical facilities through the county. Four 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.