Bengal on Monday reported 603 new Covid-19 infections, 657 recoveries and 14 deaths, resulting in a fall by 68 in its total of active cases to 7,899.

Over the past 44 days — since Bengal snapped out of a 97-day streak of constant fall in the total of active cases ahead of the Puja season on September 26 — the state recorded a rise in its total of active cases for 24 days and a fall for 19 days.

In these 44 days — considered the core of the long autumnal festive spell, including not only the Durga Puja days but also the preceding and succeeding weeks — there has been a net rise of 225 in the state’s total of active cases, from 7,674.

A minister said the number of new infections being reported on Monday is indicative of people that got infected in the October 30 (10 days after Lakshmi Puja) to November 3 (the day before Kali Puja) window. The state’s recovery rate is 98.3 per cent, while that of the nation is 98.24.

Calcutta reported 149 new infections and North 24-Parganas reported 138.

, the only two of the state’s 23 districts with a three-digit figure of new cases found. Eleven districts reported a single-digit figure.

Calcutta, North and South 24-Parganas, Howrah, Hooghly and Nadia accounted for 450 – 74.62 per cent – of the new infections detected on Monday.

The daily positive confirmation rate, which was nearly 33 per cent at the peak of the second wave, was 2.51 per cent on Monday.

Sixteen Bengal districts reported zero deaths. Calcutta reported three, while North 24-Parganas reported four.

The state’s mortality rate is 1.2, while that of the nation is 1.34 per cent.

Bengal now has over 15.99 lakh Covid-19 cases, since the first was logged in March last year. The total includes nearly 15.72 lakh recoveries and 19,240 casualties.