Bengal on Thursday recorded 731 new Covid-19 infections, 781 recoveries and 12 deaths.

The total number of active cases in Bengal fell by 62 to 9,653 on Thursday with a continuous slide for two months or 60 days on the trot.

Bengal now has 2.69 per cent of the national total of active cases and is seventh among states with the most such cases.

The state’s recovery rate is 98.18 per cent, its highest ever this pandemic, ahead of the national rate of 97.51.

Calcutta reported 89 new infections and zero deaths on Thursday.

Bengal’s daily Covid-19 positive confirmation rate was 1.62 per cent on Thursday, compared to nearly 33 per cent at the peak of the second wave. With a weekly average of 1.6 per cent, Bengal is now 15th among states with the highest positive confirmation rate.

With Calcutta logging 89 new infections and North 24-Parganas 79, Thursday was the 14th consecutive day again of no Bengal district reporting a three-digit caseload in one day. Seventeen of the 23 Bengal districts reported two-digit figures, North and South Dinajpur, Malda, Murshidabad, Purulia and West Burdwan single-digit ones.

Fourteen Bengal districts, including Calcutta, reported zero deaths on Thursday. Kalimpong, Jalpaiguri, Murshidabad, East Midnapore, West Burdwan, Hooghly and South 24-Parganas reported one each.

The state’s mortality rate is 1.19 now, while that of the nation is 1.34 per cent. Bengal is 24th on the list of states with the highest mortality rates.

Bengal currently has nearly 15.41 lakh Covid-19 cases, since the first was reported in March last year. The total includes close to 15.13 lakh recoveries and 18,337 deaths.