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The number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in North Carolina continued to rise from 93,708 Thursday to 95,570 Friday. There have been 1,623 deaths in the state attributed to the virus, an increase of 16 overnight. The state currently has 1,180 COVID-19 associated hospitalizations and 67,124 people are presumed recovered from the virus in North Carolina.

Beaufort County had a total of 188 confirmed cases as of Friday, an increase of nine overnight; four COVID-19-positive patients are currently hospitalized in the county,

Beaufort County’s numbers were steady through the weekend, but increased by nine Monday, nine Tuesday, 14 Wednesday, eight Thursday and nine Friday, for a total of 49 new cases over five days. There are currently 56 active COVID-19 cases in Beaufort County, 131 people have recovered from the virus, and one person died on June 24. That person was the 56th person in the county to test positive for the virus.

“Two of today’s nine new cases were symptomatic at the time of their test, with one being attributed to community spread. The remaining cases are under investigation,” reads the Friday update from Beaufort County Emergency Services and Beaufort County Health Department.

Contact tracing of the 188 known, confirmed cases has concluded:

• 117 cases have been attributed to direct contact with another known positive case;
• two cases were related to travel to a known outbreak area;
• 56 cases are attributed to community spread;
• 13 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 3,549,451 Thursday to 3,634,807 Friday; these numbers include 1,075,882 people in the U.S. presumed recovered from COVID-19, according to the update. The U.S. has the highest total number of cases worldwide; worldwide, there have been 13,670,822 confirmed cases. Nationwide, 138,072 deaths have been attributed to the virus, an increase of 1,132 overnight, the update reads.

Eastern North Carolina counties total COVID-19 cases as of Friday numbered (does not include number of recovered): Bertie (168), Beaufort (188), Bladen (474), Brunswick (891), Carteret (171), Camden (44), Chowan (44), Columbus (682), Craven (488), Currituck (39); Dare (126), Duplin (1,732), Edgecombe (420), Gates (30), Greene (250), Halifax (457), Hertford (184), Hyde (33), Jones (43), Lenoir (444), Martin (177), New Hanover (1,712), Northampton (230), Onslow (507), Pamlico (42), Pasquotank (262), Pender (446), Perquimans (43), Pitt (1,079), Sampson (1,273), Tyrrell (63), Washington (60), Wayne (2,071) and Wilson (1,075). Durham (4,911), Mecklenburg (16,657) and Wake (8,354) counties have the most cases in North Carolina.

There had been 3,029 tests completed in Beaufort County as of Friday, with 2,640 negatives, 171 positives and 218 pending. These are cumulative numbers and include tests performed at the health department and reporting private medical facilities through the county. Nine 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.

“There were 749 tests completed by Beaufort County agencies last week; 341 were completed during our mass testing events last Tuesday and Wednesday; 408 were completed throughout the week by our various partners,” the update reads.