Bengal records 6,781 active cases now - 412 new cases and 11 deaths, recovery rate 97.02 per cent

Total active cases fell for the 85th consecutive day since Vijaya Dashami last year

Bengal’s total test count – including 30,034 tests on Tuesday – is over 76.96 lakh now, at 85,514 tests per million people. : Shutterstock

Meghdeep Bhattacharyya   |   TT   |   Calcutta   |    20.01.21  : Bengal on Tuesday logged 513 Covid-19 recoveries, 412 new cases and 11 deaths, with one from Calcutta. The state has 6,781 active cases.

Total active cases fell for the 85th consecutive day since Vijaya Dashami last year.

Over these 85 days since October 26, the total active cases fell from 37,190 to 6,781, an improvement of 82 per cent. Bengal now has around 3.4 per cent of India’s active cases.

The total is now back almost to where it was 198 days ago, on July 5 last year.

Recovery rate rising for 88 days straight from 87.44 per cent on October 22 last year, it is now 97.02 per cent, ahead of the national rate of 96.67.

“We are looking to speed up recovery rate over the next few weeks. We aim to cross 98 this month and 99 by midFebruary,” said a minister.

Since Dashami, the state recorded over 2.39 lakh recoveries, compared to the 2.12 new infections detected.

The state now has over 5.66 lakh Covid-19 cases since the first reported on March 17, 2020, which includes over 5.49 lakh recoveries and 10,074 deaths. The state attributed 8,452 deaths or 83.9 per cent of the total toll to comorbidities.

Bengal’s mortality rate remained 1.77, compared to the 1.44 per cent nationally.

Calcutta High Court's intervention with instructions against crowding over Durga Puja, Kali Puja, Diwali and Chhath, and then over New Year revelry, helped rein in the infections, the state believes.

The state’s positive confirmation rate is 7.36 per cent now, having improved steadily from the 8.27, 60 days ago.

Bengal’s total test count – including 30,034 tests on Tuesday – is over 76.96 lakh now, at 85,514 tests per million people.