Bengal on Wednesday recorded 741 new Covid-19 cases, 753 recoveries and 14 deaths. Active cases fell by 24 to reach 8,050. The state government also extended curbs without further relaxation till September 30. Night restrictions from 11pm to 5am stay unchanged. Suburban local trains stay suspended.

Bengal has 2.39 per cent of India's active cases, and is seventh among states with most such cases.

Calcutta logged 130 new infections and North 24-Parganas 142, becoming the only two of the state’s 23 districts with a three-digit figure of new infections detected in a day. Seven districts reported a single-digit figure.

Eighteen Bengal districts reported zero deaths on Wednesday. Calcutta reported two deaths and North 24-Parganas four.

The state’s recovery rate is 98.29 per cent, its highest this pandemic, and ahead of the national rate of 97.62.

Bengal’s daily positive confirmation rate for Covid-19, nearly 33 per cent at the peak of the second wave, was 1.86 per cent on Wednesday.

The state’s mortality rate is 1.19 per cent, while that of the nation is 1.33 per cent.

The state currently has nearly 15.59 lakh Covid-19 cases, since the first was reported in March last year. The total includes more than 15.32 lakh recoveries and 18,613 deaths.