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The number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in North Carolina continued to rise from 66,751 Wednesday to 68,198 Thursday. There have been 1,407 deaths in the state attributed to the virus, an increase of six overnight. The state currently has 912 COVID-19 associated hospitalizations and 45,538 people are presumed recovered from the virus in North Carolina.

Beaufort County had a total of 101 confirmed cases as of Thursday, an increase of 16 over the previous two days. Sixty-seven of the 101 confirmed cases have recovered from COVID-19. Thirty-three cases remain active; one person is currently hospitalized, according to the Thursday update from Beaufort County Emergency Services and Beaufort County Health Department.

Last 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 June 24.

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

“One of our newest cases has been attributed to having had contact with another known case. The remaining three (of the four) cases have been attributed to community spread. Two of today’s new cases were asymptomatic at the time of their test,” the update reads.

Of Beaufort County’s total of 101 cases, contact tracing of these known, confirmed cases has concluded:

• 72 cases have been attributed to direct contact with another known positive case;
• two cases were related to travel to a known outbreak area;
• 27 cases are attributed to community spread.

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

The total number of cases that have been confirmed in the U.S. rose from 2,658,324 Wednesday to 2,715,124 Thursday; these numbers include 729,994 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 10,763,604 confirmed cases. Nationwide, 128,439 deaths have been attributed to the virus, an increase of 758 overnight.

Eastern North Carolina counties total COVID-19 cases as of Wednesday numbered (does not include number of recovered): Bertie (146), Beaufort (101), Bladen (384), Brunswick (574), Carteret (94), Camden (30), Chowan (25), Columbus (543), Craven (382), Currituck (19); Dare (59), Duplin (1,509), Edgecombe (326), Gates (27), Greene (183), Halifax (321), Hertford (166), Hyde (12), Jones (35), Lenoir (375), Martin (137), New Hanover (1,018), Northampton (199), Onslow (324), Pamlico (22), Pasquotank (212), Pender (262), Perquimans (36), Pitt (732), Sampson (1,071), Tyrrell (11), Washington (38), Wayne (1,847) and Wilson (745). Durham (3,830), Mecklenburg (11,803) and Wake (5,453) counties have the most cases in North Carolina.

There had been 2,306 tests completed in Beaufort County as of Wednesday, with 2,029 negatives, 94 positives and 183 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.