North Bengal on Sunday logged 1,767 new Covid-19 cases with the maximum number of cases being reported from Darjeeling district (433), followed by Malda district (313).

On the other hand, 2,603 patients have tested negative in the past 24 hours.

“During the past three weeks, when number of cases has recorded a surge. This is for the first time that there is such a margin among the positive and negative cases. This shows that the situation is improving in the region. Even then, we have to be on alert,” said a health official.

The increase in the number of patients who have been found negative — in Darjeeling and Malda district, over 1,250 patients have been tested negative in a day — has also brought down the total number of active patients to below 15,000.

At present, there are 14,934 active patients in north Bengal. However, in the past 24 hours, four Covid patients —two in Darjeeling and one each from North and South Dinajpurs — have died.

The administrations in different districts, however, are strictly implementing the restrictions and also taking new initiatives to prevent further spreading of the contagion.

In Alipurduar district, officers of the Kalchini block administration reached Hamiltonganj on Sunday where a large weekly market is held.

They looked out for people roaming around without masks. All such persons were intercepted and their rapid antigen tests were carried out on.

“Whoever was tested positive, was sent to an isolation camp for five to seven days. The exercise was important to alert people and also to encourage them to wear masks,” said an official of the block.

Such drives would be carried out in all rural weekly markets which are held across the district, said sources in the district administration.