Bengal on Sunday reported 544 new Covid-19 infections, 547 recoveries and five deaths, resulting in a drop again in the total of active cases by eight, to 7,450.

Calcutta reported 219 new infections and three deaths. It was the only one of the state’s 23 districts with a three-digit figure of new cases found. Fifteen districts reported a single-digit figure.

Calcutta, North and South 24-Parganas, Howrah, Hooghly and Nadia accounted for 443 or 81.43 per cent of the new infections detected on Sunday. Twenty districts reported zero deaths. The number of new cases reported on Sunday indicate people infected in the December 17 to December 21 window.

In the past 92 days since Bengal snapped out of a 97-day streak of fall in the active cases on September 26, there has been a net fall of 224 in the total number of Covid patients. Bengal’s daily positive confirmation rate, which was nearly 33 per cent at the peak of the second wave, was 2.41 per cent on Sunday. The state’s recovery rate is 98.33 per cent, below the national rate of 98.4.

The state’s mortality rate is 1.21, while that of the nation is 1.34 per cent. Bengal now has over 16.3 lakh Covid-19 cases since the first was logged in March last year. The total includes over 16.03 lakh recoveries and 19,716 deaths.