Bengal on Monday achieved its goal, in the wake of the devastating second wave, of getting its total number of active Covid-19 cases back to below 10,000, for the first time since April 3, 135 days ago.

The state reported 57 straight days of a fall in active cases, by 198 to reach 9,832 on Monday. The state logged 502 new infections, 691 recoveries and nine deaths.

A minister called this a major, much-awaited milestone. “We have covered a lot of ground from the peak of over 1.32 lakh active cases on May 21, the direct result of the eight-phase polls across two months thrust upon us by the Election Commission in collaboration with the Curbs imposed since mid-May played a crucial role (in reducing Covid spread),” he added.

Bengal now has 2.68 per cent of India’s active cases, and is seventh on the list of states with most such cases.

Calcutta logged 62 new infections and one death.

North 24-Parganas logged 74 new cases. So Monday was the 11th straight day when no Bengal district reported a three-digit figure of new cases.

Fourteen of 23 Bengal districts reported a two-digit figure of new infections detected.

The state’s recovery rate was 98.17 per cent, its highest this pandemic and still fairly ahead of the national rate of 97.48.

Bengal’s daily positive confirmation rate, nearly 33 per cent at the peak of the second wave, was 1.92 per cent on Monday.

Seventeen Bengal districts reported zero deaths on Monday, while Darjeeling, Kalimpong and Calcutta reported one each.

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

Bengal now has over 15.39 lakh Covid-19 cases, since the first was reported in March last year. The total includes nearly 15.11 lakh recoveries and 18,312 deaths.