Bengal on Friday logged a rise in its total of active Covid-19 cases, by 23 to 3,133, for the first time since October 26, Vijaya Dashami, after an unbroken 136-day fall.

The state reported 253 recoveries, 277 new infections and one death in the city.

Before Friday’s rise, the total of active cases had fallen from 37,190 on October 26 last year to 3,110 on Thursday.

A minister said a “trend of rise (in Covid infections)” is being witnessed “nationally over the past few days”. “Before Friday, the state had been able to buck that trend. We are sad that the remarkable 136-day streak snapped on Friday. But we hope it is an aberration and not the start of a new trend of deterioration,” he said.

Bengal now has 1.57 per cent of India’s total active cases, bettering the 7 per cent at the start of 2020. The state is now ninth among states with the most active cases, having improved from third spot a couple of months ago. Bengal’s recovery rate is 97.68 per cent, ahead of the national average of 96.8.

The state’s positive confirmation rate is 6.57 per cent, having fallen steadily for 113 days. On Friday, the state reported 19,376 tests, taking the total past 87.87 lakh, at 97,644 tests per million people.

“There are enough positives still, no need to start worrying immediately,” said the minister.

Bengal has over 5.77 lakh cases, including over 5.64 lakh recoveries and 10,287 deaths.

Of the toll, 8,640 deaths (84 per cent) were attributed to comorbidities. Bengal’s mortality rate was 1.78, while the national rate is 1.39 per cent.