Bengal on Saturday reported 705 new Covid-19 infections, 721 recoveries and 15 deaths.

The total number of active cases fell by 31 to 10,078 with 55 straight days of a fall in active cases. Bengal has 2.64 per cent of the national total of active cases, and is eighth among states with the most such cases.

Calcutta logged 82 new infections and one death on Saturday.

With North 24-Parganas logging 88 new infections, Saturday was also the ninth day on the trot of no Bengal district reporting a three-digit figure of new cases in a day. Fourteen Bengal districts reported two-digit figures of new cases.

Kalimpong, North and South Dinajpur, Malda, Murshidabad, Birbhum, Purulia and Jhargram reported single-digit figures.

The state’s recovery rate is 98.16 per cent, its highest this pandemic, still fairly ahead of the national rate of 97.43.

The daily positive confirmation rate, nearly 33 per cent at the peak of the second wave, was 1.63 per cent on Saturday.

Seventeen Bengal districts reported zero deaths on Saturday, while Hooghly and Calcutta reported one.

The state’s mortality rate is 1.19 now, while that of the nation is 1.34 per cent.

Bengal now has nearly 15.38 lakh Covid-19 cases, since the first was reported in March last year. The total includes over 15.09 lakh recoveries and 18,291 deaths.