Bengal on Friday reported 982 new Covid-19 infections, 860 recoveries and eight deaths, resulting in a rise by 114 in active cases to 8,223.

Bengal now has 5.3 per cent of the national total of active cases, and is fifth on the list of states with the highest number of such cases.

In the past 34 days — since Bengal snapped out of a 97-day streak of fall in active cases ahead of Durga Puja on September 26 — there has been a net rise of 549 in the state’s total of active cases, from the 7,674 of September 25.

The state’s recovery rate, 98.33 per cent till October 20, fell to 98.32 on October 21, 98.31 on Saturday, 98.3 on Sunday, 98.29 on Thursday and 98.28 on Friday. The recovery rate, nationally, is 98.17.

A minister said new infections reported on Friday were indicative of people who got infected between October 20 (Lakshmi Puja) and October 24.

Calcutta reported 273 new infections and one death on Friday.

North 24-Parganas reported 161 new cases and two deaths.

These were only two districts of the state with a three-digit figure of new cases. Six districts reported a single-digit figure. Sixteen districts reported zero deaths.

Calcutta, North and South 24-Parganas, Howrah, Hooghly and Nadia accounted for 726 or 73.93 per cent of the new infections detected on Friday.

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

Bengal’s daily positive confirmation rate, which was nearly 33 per cent at the peak of the second wave, was 2 per cent on Friday.

Bengal now has more than 15.91 lakh Covid-19 cases, since the first was logged in March last year. The total includes nearly 15.64 lakh recoveries and 19,113 deaths.