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The number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in North Carolina continued to rise from 62,248 Sunday to 63,736 Monday. There have been 1,357 deaths in the state attributed to the virus, an increase of five overnight. The state currently has 843 COVID-19 associated hospitalizations and 45,538 people are presumed recovered from the virus in North Carolina.

Beaufort County had a total of 82 confirmed cases as of Monday, an increase of seven over the weekend. Fifty-three of the 82 confirmed cases have recovered from COVID-19. Twenty-eight cases remain active; one person is currently hospitalized, according to the Monday update from Beaufort County Emergency Services and Beaufort County Health Department.

On 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 last Wednesday.

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

“Our four most recent cases have been attributed to having had direct contact with other known cases. All four were symptomatic,” the update reads.

Of Beaufort County’s total of 82 cases, contact tracing of these known, confirmed cases has concluded:

• 54 cases have been attributed to direct contact with another known positive case;
• two cases were related to travel to a known outbreak area;
• 23 cases are attributed to community spread;
• three 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 2,547,621 Sunday to 2,581,539 Monday; these numbers include 705,203 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 10,256,251 confirmed cases. Nationwide, 126,089 deaths have been attributed to the virus, an increase of 296 overnight.

Eastern North Carolina counties with current cases as of Monday include: Bertie (145), Beaufort (82), Bladen (366), Brunswick (499), Carteret (84), Camden (26), Chowan (24), Columbus (517), Craven (365), Currituck (19); Dare (48), Duplin (1,460), Edgecombe (313), Gates (28), Greene (174), Halifax (306), Hertford (161), Hyde (11), Jones (35), Lenoir (367), Martin (128), New Hanover (840), Northampton (193), Onslow (270), Pamlico (19), Pasquotank (204), Pender (243), Perquimans (36), Pitt (679), Sampson (1,030), Tyrrell (9), Washington (38), Wayne (1,795) and Wilson (721). Durham (3,627), Mecklenburg (10,863) and Wake (5,009) counties have the most cases in North Carolina.

There had been 2,154 tests completed in Beaufort County as of Monday, with 1,885 negatives, 74 positives and 195 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.