Bengal on Tuesday, for the first time in 41 days since April 21, logged less than 10,000 new Covid-19 infections detected in a day.

With 9,424 new infections, 17,722 recoveries, besides 137 deaths, the total of active cases fell by 8,435 to 78,613.

Since the all-time high of 1,32,181 in the total of active cases reported on May 21, the state has improved by over 41 per cent in 11 days.

“Getting to this stage of less than 10,000 new cases daily is crucial, even psychologically. Now, we hope to be able to lower it to less than 5,000 a day over the next couple of weeks, or less,” said a minister.

Bengal now has 4.36 per cent of the national total of active cases, and is seventh among states with most such cases. Bengal’s recovery rate rose for the 31st consecutive day, rising by nearly 9 percentage points to 93.2 per cent on Tuesday. The national rate now is 92.41.

“Perhaps the most heartening is the steady fall in the daily positive confirmation rate, which was 33 at the peak of the second wave. On Tuesday, it was down to barely 14 per cent,” the minister said.

“. Once we drag it back to less than 10 again, we will be decisively on our way to yet another major turnaround,” said the minister.

Deemed a key indicator this pandemic, positive confirmation rate is the percentage of positive cases among samples tested. Decreasing positive confirmation rate indicates reducing levels of Covid-19 spread.

With a total of 15,678 deaths this pandemic, Bengal’s overall mortality rate is 1.13 per cent and the national rate is 1.18.

Of the 137 deaths reported on Tuesday, 32 were from the city and 35 from North 24-Parganas. Calcutta logged 1,032 new infections, North 24-Parganas 2,028.