Bengal on Saturday logged 19,202 Covid-19 recoveries and 18,863 new infections, besides 154 deaths, as the total of active cases dropped by 493 to less than 1.32 lakh again.

The state has 4.68 per cent of the national total of active cases now. It is sixth on the list of states with the most active cases.

In a significantly positive indicator, the recovery rate rose for the 21st consecutive day, to 88.32 per cent, riding the consistently large number of recoveries. The national rate now is 88.24.

Bengal is 15th on the list of states with the highest recovery rates, but the state government expects it to enter the top five in the next few weeks.

“There have been early indications, for about a week now, of Bengal having passed the peak of the second wave. If these apparent trends are here to stay, a major turnaround is expected over the next six-eight weeks,” said a minister.

Of the 154 deaths, 41 were reported from the city and 43 from North 24-Parganas, the two worst affected districts. While Calcutta logged 3,280 new infections, North 24-Parganas reported 3,876.

The state’s total Covid-19 toll now is 14,208, while the mortality rate is 1.13 per cent. The national rate is now 1.12.

Bengal is currently 19th on the list of states with the highest mortality rates.

“We expect the mortality rate to fall to below 1 per cent soon. Despite the high infection numbers in the second wave, mortality rate has been low,” said the minister. The mortality rate of infected females is 0.85 now, while that of infected males is 1.34.

“There have been a lot more deaths, daily, than anytime in the pandemic before this. But that is only because of the huge number of infections… the mortality rate was never alarming or beyond reasonable estimates,” the minister said, adding that he expected the daily toll to fall drastically over the next few weeks.

Comorbidities accounted for 10,545 (74.2 per cent) of the deaths. Hypertension remains the most lethal comorbidity in Bengal, accounting for over a third of comorbid deaths, followed by diabetes, which caused a fourth of such deaths.