Bengal on Wednesday achieved a significant Covid-19 management landmark of reaching a 98 per cent recovery rate, fairly ahead of the national rate of 97.32 per cent, as the state logged 981 recoveries, 869 new infections and six deaths.

Wednesday was the 17th successive day of less than 1,000 new Covid-19 infections detected in Bengal. The state recorded a drop in its total of active cases for the 31st consecutive day by 118 to touch 12,391.

Bengal now has 3.06 per cent of the national total of active cases, and is eighth among states with most such cases.

With Calcutta logging 68 new infections and North 24-Parganas 91, Wednesday was also the 14th consecutive day since the second wave when not one of Bengal’s 23 districts reported a three-digit figure of new infections detected. Twenty districts reported double-digit figures while Malda, Murshidabad and Birbhum single-digit figures.

Bengal’s daily positive confirmation rate, nearly 33 per cent at the peak of the second wave, was 1.6 per cent on Wednesday.

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

Of the six deaths, one each was reported from Calcutta, North and South 24-Parganas and Hooghly. Eighteen Bengal districts reported zero deaths.

The state now has a total of over 15.2 lakh Covid-19 cases since the onset of the pandemic, including 14.9 lakh recoveries and 18,027 deaths.