Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

Beaufort County had a total of 263 confirmed cases as of Friday, an increase of 14 overnight. Eight people are currently hospitalized, according to the Friday update from Beaufort County Emergency Services and Beaufort County Health Department.

Beaufort County’s numbers increased by 49 new cases last week, followed by 16 Monday, 14 Tuesday, eight Wednesday, 23 Thursday and 14 Friday for a total of 124 new cases over the past two weeks. There are currently 70 active COVID-19 cases in Beaufort County; 191 people have recovered from the virus. As of Friday, there have been two COVID-19-related deaths in Beaufort County, according to the update.

“None of today’s newest cases have reported being asymptomatic. Seven of today’s cases were identified through contact tracing and have been attributed to having had contact with other known cases,” reads the Friday update. “Fifty-one of our total positives were asymptomatic at the time of their test.”

Contact tracing of the 263 known, confirmed cases has concluded:

• 147 cases have been attributed to direct contact with another known positive case;
• two cases were related to travel to a known outbreak area;
• 70 cases are attributed to community spread;
• 44 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 4,007,859 Thursday to 4,097,270 Friday; these numbers include 1,233,269 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 15,649,261 confirmed cases. Nationwide, 145,184 deaths have been attributed to the virus, an increase of 1,338 overnight.

The number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in North Carolina continued to rise from 107,125 Thursday to 109,721 Friday. There have been 1,788 deaths in the state attributed to the virus, an increase of 32 overnight. The state currently has 1,182 COVID-19 associated hospitalizations and 78,707 people are presumed recovered from the virus in North Carolina.

Eastern North Carolina counties total COVID-19 cases as of Friday numbered (does not include number of recovered): Bertie (194), Beaufort (263), Bladen (514), Brunswick (1,034), Carteret (230), Camden (50), Chowan (76), Columbus (732), Craven (581), Currituck (58); Dare (186), Duplin (1,859), Edgecombe (489), Gates (35), Greene (270), Halifax (520), Hertford (223), Hyde (35), Jones (46), Lenoir (472), Martin (199), New Hanover (2,073), Northampton (284), Onslow (702), Pamlico (51), Pasquotank (288), Pender (541), Perquimans (51), Pitt (1,373), Sampson (1,364), Tyrrell (84), Washington (98), Wayne (2,217) and Wilson (1,267). Durham (5,370), Mecklenburg (18,703) and Wake (9,630) counties have the most cases in North Carolina.

There had been 3,823 tests completed in Beaufort County as of Friday, with 3,368 negatives, 254 positives and 201 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.