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The number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in North Carolina continued to rise from 77,687 Wednesday to 79,656 Thursday. There have been 1,477 deaths in the state attributed to the virus, an increase of 15 overnight. The state currently has 1,034 COVID-19 associated hospitalizations and 55,318 people are presumed recovered from the virus in North Carolina.

Beaufort County had a total of 132 confirmed cases as of Thursday, an increase of nine overnight. Ninety-nine of the 132 confirmed cases have recovered from COVID-19. Thirty-two cases remain active; no one is currently hospitalized, according to the Thursday 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 nine of our most recent cases were symptomatic at the time of their test. Eight of our last 15 cases were identified through contact tracing and have been attributed to having had contact with other known cases,” the update reads.

Of Beaufort County’s total of 132 cases, contact tracing of these known, confirmed cases has concluded:

• 90 cases have been attributed to direct contact with another known positive case;
• two cases were related to travel to a known outbreak area;
• 39 cases are attributed to community spread;
• one case is 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 3,035,337 Wednesday to 3,108,141 Thursday; these numbers include 969,111 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 12,169,400 confirmed cases. Nationwide, 133,106 deaths have been attributed to the virus, an increase of 1,064 overnight.

Eastern North Carolina counties total COVID-19 cases as of Wednesday numbered (does not include number of recovered): Bertie (154), Beaufort (132), Bladen (419), Brunswick (727), Carteret (124), Camden (34), Chowan (31), Columbus (585), Craven (426), Currituck (22); Dare (87), Duplin (1,637), Edgecombe (363), Gates (29), Greene (196), Halifax (365), Hertford (174), Hyde (25), Jones (39), Lenoir (406), Martin (157), New Hanover (1,371), Northampton (211), Onslow (399), Pamlico (28), Pasquotank (233), Pender (330), Perquimans (37), Pitt (876), Sampson (1,149), Tyrrell (32), Washington (43), Wayne (1,942) and Wilson (875). Durham (4,277), Mecklenburg (13,757) and Wake (6,704) counties have the most cases in North Carolina.

There had been 2,697 tests completed in Beaufort County as of Wednesday, with 2,453 negatives, 124 positives and 120 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.