Active cases decline in Bengal, pace slows -23,829 active cases, recovery rate 93.55%

The state’s recovery rate is at a new high of 93.55, a little behind the national rate of 94.5 per cent.

Since Dashami, the state recorded over 1.62 lakh recoveries and 1.51 lakh infections.

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Meghdeep Bhattacharyya   |   TT   |   Calcutta   |    08.12.20  :   Bengal on Monday reported 2,231 Covid-19 recoveries, 2,214 new infections and 48 deaths, 15 of them from Calcutta.

However, though the state logged a drop in total active cases for the 42nd consecutive day since Vijaya Dashami, the daily fall has been less sharp over the past couple of weeks, worsening Bengal’s position in relation to other states. Bengal, which had last month managed to drop to eighth spot among states with the most active cases, was back to being fourth on Monday, after Maharashtra, Kerala and Karnataka.

Bengal, with 23,829 active cases on Monday, down from 37,190 on Dashami on October 26, has over 6 per cent of the nation’s total active cases.

The state’s recovery rate is at a new high of 93.55, a little behind the national rate of 94.5 per cent. Bengal’s recovery rate has risen for 46 consecutive days to over six per cent since October 22. Bengal’s mortality rate is 1.73, still behind the national rate of 1.45 per cent.

“We have not been doing badly. It is just that some of the other states such as Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh did rather well over the past couple of weeks. We remain on track,” said a minister.

Calcutta High Court had intervened to prevent a worsening of the pandemic over Durga Puja, Kali Puja, Diwali and Chhath. Data on infections from festivals in October and November has shown that the court’s instructions were effective. In the 42 days since Dashami, the state recorded over 1.62 lakh recoveries and 1.51 lakh infections.

Bengal now has over 5.05 lakh Covid-19 cases, including 4.72 lakh recoveries and 8,771 deaths. Of the toll, 7,346 deaths or 83.8 per cent, were attributed to comorbidities.

With 31,453 tests on Monday, the state’s total test count went past 61.67 lakh, at 68,526 tests per million people. The positive confirmation rate is 8.19 per cent.

The state reported 24.31 per cent occupancy in the 13,588 beds earmarked for Covid-19 in the 102 dedicated Covid hospitals, besides over 5.13 lakh telemedicine consultations amid the pandemic.