Bengal for the fifth consecutive day recorded a drop in total active Covid-19 cases at 5,216 on Thursday, a fall by 477 since Saturday, as total recoveries went past 7,000 and the recovery rate touched 54.97 per cent.
The state reported 468 recoveries on Thursday, taking the total recoveries since Sunday to 2,459.
Over 35 per cent of Bengal’s total recoveries was reported in these five days.
“To get to the first 2,500-odd recoveries took us 78 days. For the next 2,500, it took us 11 days….Compare that progress to 2,459 in just five days now,” said a minister.
The total recoveries on Thursday was 7,001, out of the 12,735 total cases reported in Bengal since the start of the pandemic.
A month ago, Bengal had 1,074 recoveries, out of 2,961 total cases. The recovery rate has risen by over 18 per cent from 36.27 a month ago.
But Bengal also reported a dozen more Covid-19 deaths, which took the total pandemic toll to 518. Of the 518 deaths, the state government reported 370 — 71.4 per cent — as those with comorbidity “present”.
Soberingly, Calcutta reported the most deaths in the state at 316. While Bengal’s mortality rate stood at 4 per cent, that of Calcutta was 7.4.
Of the 435 new Covid-19 cases reported in 24 hours till 9am on Thursday, over 90 per cent were reported from districts with a high volume of returnees. Calcutta alone reported 180.
With 9,315 Covid-19 tests in 24 hours, total tests touched 3,70,291, or 4,114 tests per million. A month ago, the state had completed around 1 lakh tests and 1,136 tests per million. “We started testing in early February. It took us over three-and-a-half months (till May 19) to achieve 1 lakh tests. We got to 2 lakh in 12 days (May 31) and 3 lakh in 11 days (June 11). We expect to get past 4 lakh by Sunday or Monday, 10 or 11 days,” said the minister.
Owing to the rise in new cases, the positive confirmation rate — percentage of people found infected among those tested — deteriorated from 2.89 a month ago to 3.44 per cent now.
Malda doctors protest
Doctors, nurses and paramedics posted at the Malda Medical College and Hospital (MMCH) on Thursday resorted to protests alleging that they were facing hostility from some residents of Malda town after three of their colleagues tested Covid-19 positive. Doctors who protested before Parthapratim Mukherjee, the principal of MMCH, said some staff were being asked to vacate rented homes while others were asked to stay on at the hospital.
Amit Dan, the superintendent of MMCH, spoke with Alok Rajoria, Malda SP, who instantly launched a helpline for doctors, paramedics, nurses and all others associated with healthcare.
In Siliguri, a district BJP leader, who is a resident of ward 15, tested positive on Thursday. The number of Covid-19 cases in north Bengal crossed the 1, 300 mark.
