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The number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in North Carolina continued to rise from 76,290 Tuesday to 77,687 Wednesday. There have been 1,462 deaths in the state attributed to the virus, an increase of 16 overnight. The state currently has 994 COVID-19 associated hospitalizations and 55,318 people are presumed recovered from the virus in North Carolina.

Beaufort County had a total of 123 confirmed cases as of Wednesday, an increase of six overnight. Ninety-nine of the 123 confirmed cases have recovered from COVID-19. Twenty-three cases remain active; one person is currently hospitalized, according to the Wednesday update from Beaufort County Emergency Services and Beaufort County Health Department.

On June 26, 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.

“All six of our newest cases were symptomatic at the time of their test,” the update reads.

Of Beaufort County’s total of 123 cases, contact tracing of these known, confirmed cases has concluded:

• 82 cases have been attributed to direct contact with another known positive case;
• two cases were related to travel to a known outbreak area;
• 33 cases are attributed to community spread;
• six cases are still under investigation.

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

The total number of cases that have been confirmed in the U.S. rose from 2,983,961 Tuesday to 3,035,337 Wednesday; these numbers include 936,476 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 11,922,399 confirmed cases. Nationwide, 132,042 deaths have been attributed to the virus, an increase of 774 overnight.

Eastern North Carolina counties total COVID-19 cases as of Tuesday numbered (does not include number of recovered): Bertie (152), Beaufort (123), Bladen (411), Brunswick (713), Carteret (121), Camden (34), Chowan (31), Columbus (577), Craven (411), Currituck (22); Dare (82), Duplin (1,620), Edgecombe (352), Gates (28), Greene (192), Halifax (349), Hertford (174), Hyde (23), Jones (39), Lenoir (401), Martin (153), New Hanover (1,325), Northampton (209), Onslow (367), Pamlico (28), Pasquotank (233), Pender (314), Perquimans (37), Pitt (858), Sampson (1,134), Tyrrell (30), Washington (43), Wayne (1,935) and Wilson (855). Durham (4,208), Mecklenburg (13,489) and Wake (6,471) counties have the most cases in North Carolina.

There had been 2,605 tests completed in Beaufort County as of Tuesday, with 2,357 negatives, 115 positives and 133 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.