Bengal on Thursday reported 990 new Covid-19 infections, 845 recoveries and nine deaths, causing a rise by 136 in its active cases to 8,109.

Active cases or Covid patients under treatment in Bengal are above 8,000 again since September 17, 41 days ago.

Bengal now has 5.23 per cent of India’s active cases, and is fifth among states with the most such cases.

The state’s recovery rate, which was 98.33 per cent even till October 20, fell to 98.32 on October 21, 98.31 on Saturday, 98.3 on Sunday, and to 98.29 on Thursday. India’s recovery rate is 98.18 per cent.

In the past 33 days since the state snapped out of a 97-day streak of constant fall in active cases ahead of the Puja season on September 26, there has been a net rise of 435 in Bengal’s active cases, from the 7,674 of September 25.

A minister said new infections reported on Thursday were indicative of people who got infected between October 19 (the day before Lakshmi Puja) and 23 (three days after Lakshmi Puja).

Calcutta reported 275 new infections and one death. North 24-Parganas reported 164 new infections and two deaths.

These were the only two of the state’s 23 districts with a three-digit figure of new cases found in a day. Five districts logged a single-digit figure.

Calcutta, North and South 24-Parganas, Howrah, Hooghly and Nadia accounted for 718 – 72.53 per cent – of the new infections detected on Thursday.

The daily positive confirmation rate, which was nearly 33 per cent at the peak of the second wave, was 2.18 per cent on Thursday. Seventeen Bengal districts reported zero deaths. Calcutta reported one, while North 24-Parganas reported two.

The state’s mortality rate is 1.2, while that of the nation is 1.33 per cent.

Bengal now has more than 15.9 lakh Covid-19 cases, since the first was logged in March last year. The total includes nearly 15.63 lakh recoveries and 19,105 casualties.