Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

The number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in North Carolina continued to rise from 65,327 Tuesday to 66,751 Wednesday. There have been 1,398 deaths in the state attributed to the virus, an increase of 41 overnight. The state currently has 901 COVID-19 associated hospitalizations and 45,538 people are presumed recovered from the virus in North Carolina.

Beaufort County had a total of 97 confirmed cases as of Wednesday, an increase of 12 overnight. Sixty-seven of the 97 confirmed cases have recovered from COVID-19. Thirty-two cases remain active; one person is currently hospitalized, according to the Wednesday update from Beaufort County Emergency Services and Beaufort County Health Department.

Last Friday, Beaufort County Health Department reported its first death in the county of a resident who tested positive for COVID-19. The person, who was the 56th confirmed case in the county, died June 24.

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

“Eleven of today’s 12 cases were identified through contact tracing and have been attributed to having had direct contact with other known cases. Three of today’s new cases were asymptomatic at the time of their test,” the update reads.

Of Beaufort County’s total of 97 cases, contact tracing of these known, confirmed cases has concluded:

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

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

The total number of cases that have been confirmed in the U.S. rose from 2,636,538 Tuesday to 2,658,324 Wednesday; these numbers include 720,631 people in the U.S. presumed recovered from COVID-19. The U.S. has the highest total number of cases worldwide; worldwide, there have been 10,538,324 confirmed cases. Nationwide, 127,681 deaths have been attributed to the virus, an increase of 256 overnight.

Eastern North Carolina counties total COVID-19 cases as of Wednesday numbered (does not include number of recovered): Bertie (146), Beaufort (97), Bladen (379), Brunswick (546), Carteret (94), Camden (29), Chowan (24), Columbus (535), Craven (372), Currituck (19); Dare (59), Duplin (1,486), Edgecombe (317), Gates (27), Greene (175), Halifax (321), Hertford (164), Hyde (12), Jones (35), Lenoir (371), Martin (135), New Hanover (1,018), Northampton (199), Onslow (308), Pamlico (21), Pasquotank (210), Pender (262), Perquimans (36), Pitt (709), Sampson (1,060), Tyrrell (11), Washington (38), Wayne (1,822) and Wilson (735). Durham (3,752), Mecklenburg (11,534) and Wake (5,298) counties have the most cases in North Carolina.

There had been 2,278 tests completed in Beaufort County as of Wednesday, with 1,954 negatives, 90 positives and 234 pending. These are cumulative numbers and include tests performed at the health department and reporting private medical facilities through the county. Eight 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.