Bengal logs 891 new Covid-19 cases, 12 fresh fatalities, 1,089 recoveries, 891 infections and 12 deaths

20 districts reported double-digit figures of fresh infections, while North Dinajpur, Malda and Purulia logged single-digit figures

Beneficiaries show their Aadhar card and ragistration form wait in a long queue to receive a dose of COVID-19 vaccine at a vaccination centre in Nadia on Wednesday.: PTI Photo

TT   |   Calcutta   |  16.07.21 :  Bengal on Thursday reported the 25th consecutive day of a drop in total active Covid-19 cases as the state logged 1,089 recoveries, 891 infections and a dozen deaths.

With Calcutta logging 76 infections and North 24-Parganas 92, Thursday was the eighth successive day since the second wave struck when not one of Bengal’s 23 districts reported a three-digit figure of new cases.

Twenty districts reported double-digit figures of new infections, while North Dinajpur, Malda and Purulia logged single-digit figures.

The daily positive confirmation rate, which was nearly 33 per cent at the peak of the second wave, was 1.61 per cent on Thursday. A decreasing positive confirmation rate is indicative of reducing levels of Covid-19 spread.

The total of active cases fell by 210 on Thursday to 13,637.

Of the 12 deaths, two were in Calcutta and one from North 24-Parganas. Fifteen Bengal districts reported zero deaths on Thursday, while Birbhum, West Burdwan, Hooghly and North 24-Parganas reported just one each.

“Even about six weeks ago, the daily death toll was around 150, with some districts reporting 40-50 deaths each. We have come a long way since,” said a minister.

“We successfully managed to arrest fatalities in the 46-60, 61-75 and 75-plus age brackets, which collectively have nearly 16,200 (over 90 per cent) of the total 17,970 deaths,” he added.

The 61-75 age bracket of the infected has a mortality rate of 3.43, but nearly 7,500 (41.7 per cent) of the total deaths.

In Bengal, around 12,100 (67.3 per cent) of the total deaths were of infected males.

The state’s mortality rate is 1.19, while that of the nation is 1.32 per cent.

In the key parameter of case growth — percentage of growth of cases over the past week compared to the week before that — Bengal is 24th on the list of states, with case growth falling by 47.8 per cent. Bengal has been able to maintain a case growth of –40 to –60 for weeks.

Bengal’s recovery rate is 97.91 per cent, with the national rate at 97.25.

The state now has a total of over 15.15 lakh Covid-19 cases, since the first was detected in March last year. It includes nearly 14.84 lakh recoveries.