Bengal’s active Covid-19 cases rose for the third day in the past six days as the state logged 708 infections, 694 recoveries and 13 deaths on Friday.

The total of active cases climbed by one to reach 7,571.

Bengal has 2.8 per cent of the national total of active cases and remains seventh on the list of states with the highest number of such patients.

Calcutta on Friday logged 146 infections, while North 24-Parganas reported 116. These are the only two districts in Bengal to log three-digit figures of new infections on Friday. Seven districts reported single-digit figures.

The state’s recovery rate remained 98.32 per cent, still fairly ahead of the national rate of 97.8. Eighteen Bengal districts reported zero deaths on Friday. Calcutta and North 24-Parganas logged four each.

The state’s mortality rate is 1.2, while that of the nation is 1.33 per cent.

The daily positive confirmation rate, which was nearly 33 per cent at the peak of the second wave, was 1.79 per cent on Friday.

Bengal now has nearly 15.7 lakh Covid-19 cases, since the first was logged in March last year. The total includes nearly 15.43 lakh recoveries and 18,806 casualties.