4157 new Covid cases in Bengal

The state's total number of cases is now over 3.37 lakh, which includes nearly 2.95 lakh recoveries and 6,308 deaths

Meghdeep Bhattacharyya   |   TT   |   Calcutta   |  23.10.20 : Bengal on Thursday logged 4,157 new Covid-19 cases, 64 deaths and 3,608 recoveries, all the three figures highest for a 24-hour period.

This is the 19th time that the highest 24-hour rise in the cases was reset in October. The day’s toll of 64 was reported for the fifth time, though still the highest so far. Calcutta reported 16 deaths and North 24-Parganas 18 on Thursday.

Bengal’s total number of Covid-19 cases are now over 3.37 lakh, which include nearly 2.95 lakh recoveries and 6,308 deaths.

Bengal climbed this month to the fourth spot among states with most active cases, after Maharashtra, Karnataka and Kerala. “Bengal alone has about 5 per cent of India’s total active cases now,” said a government source. “States such as Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh, which were relatively far worse off, are doing marginally better now,” said a government source.

Bengal’s recovery rate, ahead of the national rate for months, was 87.44 per cent on Thursday, slipping well behind the current national rate of 89.33. Bengal’s mortality rate is 1.87, again behind the national rate of 1.51 per cent.

“For months, we were in the top 3 or top 5 among states with the highest recovery rate. Now, we are languishing at 24th place. October damages have dragged us down, undoing much of the good work,” said a source in the government. “We can only hope that this (spurt in cases) does not worsen drastically over Durga Puja, given the high court’s intervention. Otherwise, we might have a full-fledged public health emergency before Kali Puja,” he added.

In just a month, Bengal added nearly 1.06 lakh new Covid-19 cases while only 93,000 have recovered and 1,825 people have died.

“Over 62,000 of new cases in the month were reported from five high-incidence districts (Calcutta, North and South 24-Parganas, Howrah and Hooghly),” said the government source. In those five districts, the total active cases was 12,805 exactly a month ago. On Thursday, it stood at 20,213.

The state government termed 5,330 or 84.5 per cent as deaths with comorbidity “present”.