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The number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in North Carolina continued to rise from 39,536 Thursday to 41,417 Friday. There have been 1,121 deaths in the state attributed to the virus, an increase of 15 deaths overnight. The state currently has 760 COVID-19 associated hospitalizations and 23,653 people are presumed recovered from the virus in North Carolina.

Beaufort County had a total of 48 confirmed cases as of Friday. Thirty-nine of the 48 confirmed cases have recovered from COVID-19. Nine cases remain active.

Sixteen of Beaufort County’s positive cases were asymptomatic, meaning they experienced no symptoms, according to the Friday update from Beaufort County Emergency Services and Beaufort County Health Department.

Of Beaufort County’s total of 48 cases, contact tracing of these known, confirmed cases has concluded:

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

“Two of our newest three cases have been attributed to having direct contact with other known cases and were identified through contract tracing. The third is still under investigation,” the update reads.

All active cases are self-isolating.

The number of confirmed cases in the U.S. rose from 2,016,630 Thursday to 2,033,003 Friday; these numbers include 540,292 people in the U.S. presumed recovered from COVID-19. The U.S. has the highest number of cases worldwide; worldwide, there have been 7,573,699 confirmed cases. Nationwide, 114,126 deaths have been attributed to the virus, an increase of 474 overnight.

Eastern North Carolina counties with current cases include: Bertie (135), Beaufort (48), Bladen (186), Brunswick (190), Carteret (45), Camden (3), Chowan (19), Columbus (404), Craven (256), Currituck (15); Dare (25), Duplin (1,130), Edgecombe (285), Gates (24), Greene (117), Halifax (231), Hertford (143), Hyde (2), Jones (28), Lenoir (277), Martin (88), New Hanover (315), Northampton (170), Onslow (149), Pamlico (15), Pasquotank (128), Pender (123), Perquimans (29), Pitt (451), Sampson (702), Tyrrell (5), Washington (33), Wayne (1,448) and Wilson (482). Durham (2,473), Mecklenburg (6,538) and Wake (2,749) counties have the most cases in North Carolina.

There had been 1,298 tests completed in Beaufort County as of Friday, with 1,169 negatives, 44 positives and 85 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.