For a week since the end of Durga Puja, Bengal logged a drop in total active Covid-19 cases, aided by a rise in recoveries and a relative slump in new infections, in what seems to be turning out to be a different outcome of the festival than what had been feared.

On Monday, for the seventh successive day, Bengal reported less than 4,000 new infections, with 3,957. With 4,085 recoveries, the state reset its record for recoveries for the 14th consecutive day. The state also reported 57 deaths, including 13 each from Calcutta and North 24-Parganas.

It is between days six and 10 of the novel coronavirus infection that most cases get detected. So, these are figures of infections during Durga Puja days, a minister said.

“Monday was Day 10 for someone who got infected on Ashtami,” the minister said. “This (the data) is now beginning to tell us how effective Calcutta High Court’s intervention (to control crowds during festive days) was. Another five days or so of this, and we will have undone much of the damage from the first three weeks of October,” he added.

In the seven days since the end of Durga Puja, Bengal reported 27,989 recoveries, outweighing the 27,786 new infections. The total active cases dropped from 37,190 to 36,576. Also, the state’s recovery rate rose to a new high of 88.59. The national rate is 91.74 per cent now. “This is a near-miraculous phenomenon, a remarkably pleasant surprise. Instead of considerably worsening over the festival, the outbreak seems to have been relatively reined in,” the minister said.

However, Bengal still has 6.57 per cent of the nation’s total active cases, coming fourth after Maharashtra, Kerala and Karnataka. Bengal’s caseload is over 3.81 lakh, including over 3.38 lakh recoveries and 6,957 deaths. Its mortality rate is 1.82, still behind the national rate of 1.48 per cent.

With 43,237 tests on Monday, Bengal achieved over 46.44 lakh tests, at 51,601 tests per million people. The positive confirmation rate is 8.22 per cent now.

Of the total 6,957 deaths reported, the state government attributed 5,848, or 84.1 per cent, to comorbidities.

The state reported 34.84 per cent occupancy in the 12,966 beds earmarked for Covid-19 in the 96 dedicated hospitals for the pandemic, besides 4.03 lakh telemedicine consultations so far this pandemic.