Bengal on Tuesday reported the 23rd straight day of a drop in its total number of active Covid-19 cases, by 340 to touch 14,191 now.

On Tuesday, the state reported 1,186 recoveries, 863 new infections and 17 deaths, including one from Calcutta.

Active cases had fallen till June 9 by around 89 per cent to 14,702, from the all-time high of 1,32,181 on May 21 during the second wave, but for 11 days till June 20 rose again by over 56 per cent. Over these 23 days, active cases have fallen once again by over 38 per cent.

Bengal now has 3.34 per cent of India’s total active cases, and is eighth among states with the most number.

The state’s daily positive confirmation rate, nearly 33 per cent at the peak of the second wave, was 1.84 per cent on Tuesday, also indicating the decline. With worst-hit Calcutta and North 24-Parganas reining in day’s new cases to 77 and 97, Tuesday was the sixth straight day since the second wave when none of Bengal’s 23 districts reported a three-digit figure of new infections. Eighteen districts reported double-digit figures and North and South Dinajpur, Malda, Murshidabad and Purulia reported single-digit figures.

Bengal’s recovery rate rose to 97.88 per cent, with the national rate at 97.26.

Of the 17 deaths, apart from one each reported from Calcutta, Birbhum, East Midnapore and Hooghly, North 24-Parganas logged three. Fourteen Bengal districts reported zero deaths on Tuesday.

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

Bengal now has over 15.13 lakh Covid-19 cases since the first detected in March last year, which includes over 14.81 lakh recoveries and 17,944 deaths.