Bengal on Sunday reported 24,287 Covid-19 cases, logging the highest number of novel coronavirus infections in a 24-hour period in the state.

Calcutta also recorded the highest number of infections at 8,712, which contributed to 35.87 per cent of the state-wide count.

Sunday’s tally shattered the record of 20,846 cases logged at the peak of the second wave of the pandemic on May 14, 2021, in Bengal. The first Covid-19 case had been detected in the state in March 2020.

The positive confirmation rate rose to 33.89 per cent on Sunday — resetting the second wave record of a shade below 33 — from 29.6 per cent on Saturday. That basically implies that one out of every three tests in the state returns positive. It has already been established that Calcutta’s positive confirmation rate is threatening to go past 60, which means six out of every 10 samples tested in the city turn out positive.

A positive confirmation rate up to 5 per cent is considered tolerable in the pandemic. “It can be said beyond reasonable doubt that we are close to the summit of the third wave. This is part of a pan-India phenomenon, not confined to a state or a region,” said a Bengal minister.

“The numbers might actually worsen further. But the good thing is that this variant is far less virulent, although more infectious,” he said.

According to internal assessments, the minister said, around 70-80 per cent of all new infections in Bengal over the past 10-12 days were of the omicron variant. “So nine out of every 10 patients are asymptomatic this time. Very, very few are critical… almost no spike in the death count. There has been very little need for hospitalisation or even oxygen support, quite unlike the pan-India crisis of apocalyptic proportions of the second wave. Therefore, even with worse numbers compared to the second wave, we might emerge with far less damage from the third.”

Calcutta and its immediate neighbourhood of North 24-Parganas, South 24-Parganas, Howrah, Hooghly and Nadia accounted for 18,422 new infections — 75.85 per cent — on Sunday.

Sixteen of the state’s 23 districts reported zero deaths. Calcutta logged five fatalities. The state’s mortality rate is 1.13, while that of the nation is 1.31 per cent. The recovery rate slid further to 94.42 on Sunday from 95.27 on Saturday, having dropped by nearly four percentage points in just 12 days. The national rate is 96.98 now.

On Sunday, there were also 8,213 recoveries and 18 deaths reported, resulting in a rise by 16,056 in the total of active cases to 78,111, the highest since June 1, 222 days ago. Even on December 28 — the last day of relatively normal numbers before the latest spell of surge in Bengal — the statewide total was 752, including 382 from Calcutta. The total active caseload then was 7,457. In the 12 days since, the state has logged 1.23 lakh new infections, including 53,008 in Calcutta.

Bengal has logged over 17.55 lakh infections since the first was logged in March 2020. The total does include more than 16.57 lakh recoveries and 19,901 deaths.