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The number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in North Carolina continued to rise from 48,188 Thursday to 49,840 Friday. There have been 1,197 deaths in the state attributed to the virus.. The state currently has 871 COVID-19 associated hospitalizations and 29,219 people are presumed recovered from the virus in North Carolina.

Beaufort County had a total of 56 confirmed cases as of Thursday. Forty-five of the 56 confirmed cases have recovered from COVID-19. Eleven cases remain active.

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

Of Beaufort County’s total of 56 cases, contact tracing of these known, confirmed cases has concluded:

• 30 cases have been attributed to direct contact with another known positive case;
• two cases were related to travel to a known outbreak area;
• 22 cases are attributed to community spread;
• three cases are under investigation.

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

The number of confirmed cases in the U.S. rose from 2,187,876 Thursday to 2,215,587 Friday; these numbers include 599,115 people in the U.S. presumed recovered from COVID-19. The U.S. has the highest number of cases worldwide; worldwide, there have been 8,569,962 confirmed cases. Nationwide, 118,991deaths have been attributed to the virus, an increase of 610 overnight.

Eastern North Carolina counties with current cases as of Wednesday include: Bertie (135), Beaufort (55), Bladen (214), Brunswick (268), Carteret (48), Camden (7), Chowan (19), Columbus (442), Craven (280), Currituck (16); Dare (27), Duplin (1,231), Edgecombe (256), Gates (25), Greene (128), Halifax (241), Hertford (152), Hyde (3), Jones (28), Lenoir (305), Martin (101), New Hanover (421), Northampton (171), Onslow (178), Pamlico (15), Pasquotank (147), Pender (145), Perquimans (30), Pitt (502), Sampson (791), Tyrrell (5), Washington (35), Wayne (1,540) and Wilson (540). Durham (2,841), Mecklenburg (7,563) and Wake (3,249) counties have the most cases in North Carolina.

There had been 1,613 tests completed in Beaufort County as of Thursday, with 1,513 negatives, 52 positives and 48 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 six feet apart and wash your hands often.