Bengal on Thursday reported 860 Covid-19 cases, 825 recoveries and 14 deaths, resulting in a rise by 21 in its total of active cases to 8,072.

Over the past 54 days — since Bengal snapped out of a 97day streak of constant fall in the total of active cases ahead of the Puja season on September 26 — the state recorded a rise in its total of active cases for 32 days and a fall for 21 days.

In these 54 days – deemed the core of the long autumnal festive spell, including not only the various Puja days but also the preceding and succeeding weeks — there has been a net rise of 398 in the state’s total of active cases, from 7,674.

A minister said the number of new cases on Thursday was indicative of people who had got infected in the November 9 (five days after Kali Puja) to 13 (Jagaddhatri Puja) window.

On Thursday, Calcutta reported 233 infections and North 24Parganas 161, the only two of the state’s 23 districts with a threedigit figure of new cases found. Eight districts reported a single digit figure. The state’s recovery rate is 98.29 per cent, while that of the nation is 98.28.

Calcutta, North and South 24Parganas, Howrah, Hooghly and Nadia accounted for 611 – 71.05 per cent – of the new infections detected on Thursday.

The daily positive confirmation rate, which was nearly 33 per cent at the peak of the second wave, was 1.95 per cent on Thursday.

Seventeen Bengal districts reported zero deaths. Calcutta reported five, while North 24Parganas reported three.

The state’s mortality rate is 1.2, while that of the nation is 1.33 per cent.

Bengal now has over 16.07 lakh Covid19 cases, since the first was logged in March last year. The total includes over 15.8 lakh recoveries and 19,355 casualties.