Bengal on Tuesday reported 806 new Covid-19 infections, 811 recoveries and 15 deaths, resulting in a drop, for the second consecutive day, by 20 in its active cases to 7,849.

Bengal now has 5 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 31 days since Bengal snapped out of a 97-day streak of constant fall in active cases ahead of Durga Puja on September 26, the state recorded a rise in its total of active cases for 18 days, a fall for 12 days and no change for one day.

In these 31 days considered the core phase of the autumnal festive spell, including not only Durga Puja days but also the preceding and succeeding weeks, there has been a net rise of 175 in the state’s total of active cases, from the 7,674 of September 25.

A minister said the number of new infections reported on Tuesday was indicative of people who got infected between October 17 (Dwadoshi) and 21 (two days after Lakshmi Puja) .

Calcutta reported 248 new infections, while North 24-Parganas 148, being the only two of the state’s 23 districts with a three-digit figure of new cases found. Nine districts reported a single-digit figure.

Calcutta, North and South 24-Parganas, Howrah, Hooghly and Nadia accounted for 618 or 76.67 per cent of the new infections detected on Tuesday.

Nineteen districts reported zero deaths, Calcutta and North 24-Parganas six each.

The state’s mortality rate is 1.2, while that of the nation is 1.33 per cent. The state’s recovery rate is 98.3 per cent now, while that of the nation is 98.17. Bengal’s daily positive confirmation rate, which was nearly 33 per cent at the peak of the second wave, was 2.08 per cent on Tuesday.

Bengal now has over 15.88 lakh Covid-19 cases, since the first was logged in March last year, including over 15.61 lakh recoveries and 19,081 deaths.