Bengal logs 542 Covid cases in single day -toll rose by 10 to touch 616 on Friday

Medics give flowers to 94-year-old Lalmohan Seth on his discharge from Medical College Hospital after he recovered from Covid-19 during Unlock 1.0 in Calcutta on Thursday (PTI)

Meghdeep Bhattacharyya, TT, 27.06.20, Calcutta: Bengal reported 542 Covid-19 cases for a 24-hour period till 9am on Friday, the highest intra-day rise that broke the June 12 record of 476 and took the total number of cases past the 16,000 mark.

The increase resulted in the first dip, though by only 0.05 per cent, in the recovery rate in weeks. The total active cases rose for the fourth time in the past 13 days, to 5,039, because of the substantial number of new patients.

“The focus really should be on the total active cases and not the total cases. Total cases include cured and deceased patients. It will only keep increasing for some time. It is the total active cases that really matter,” said chief minister Mamata Banerjee.

A month ago, the state had 2,325 active cases.

Of the 542 new cases, around 96 per cent were reported from districts which received a high volume of migrant workers and others stranded elsewhere in the country during the initial stages of the lockdown. Calcutta alone reported 128 new cases.

Mamata once again blamed the railway ministry for sending 10-odd trains daily from “hotspot areas” to Bengal and said chief secretary Rajiva Sinha would write to the Centre asking it not to keep doing so without clearance from the state government.

“We might not be able to cure everyone, but 99 per cent, we will,” said the chief minister.

The death toll from the novel coronavirus rose by 10 to touch 616 on Friday. Calcutta alone accounted for 354 of the deaths. The state government reported 458 deaths — 74.35 per cent of the toll — as those with comorbidity “present”.

Over 5.39 lakh people successfully completed quarantine and they included nearly 2.31 lakh Shramik Special returnees. Barely 1.28 lakh people remain in quarantine now and are expected to complete the process by the end of the month.

“That our recovery rate (65.07 per cent) stays substantially above the national rate (58.3) is to be noted,” said Mamata.

Bengal on Friday reported 345 more recoveries, taking the total to 10,535. A month ago, the state had 1,578 recoveries and the rate was 37.64 per cent.

“In the 13-day period after June 13, Bengal has had 5,993 recoveries, roughly 57 per cent of total cured cases. The total recoveries have been consistently ahead of the count of active cases for days,” said a Bengal minister.

The state reported 9,537 tests in 24 hours, taking the total test count to 4,48,795, with 4,987 tests per million.

Owing to the considerable rise in new cases, the positive confirmation rate — the percentage of people found infected among those tested — deteriorated from 2.52 a month ago to 3.61 per cent.

While Bengal’s overall mortality rate stood at 3.8 per cent, that of the city was 6.72. The national rate now is 3.08 per cent.

“My request to the healthcare service providers, the mortality rate has to be reduced further,” said Mamata.

“Slowly, but steadily, everything will be alright. There is no reason for fear,” she added.

In Bengal, 22.64 per cent of 10,548 Covid-19 beds at 78 dedicated hospitals are occupied. Besides, there is 6.7 per cent occupancy of 6,908 beds at 106 safe homes.