A rise in recoveries has lowered the number of active Covid-19 cases from the previous day for the first time since July 28 in Bengal.

The number of active cases till 9am on Monday stood at 26,031, a fall of 344 from corresponding figure on Sunday.

On Monday till 9am, the state reported 2,905 new cases and 41 deaths.

Total recoveries have gone past 70,000, and the recovery rate has risen to 71.43 per cent. The national rate now is 69.54 per cent.

The state carried out 26,297 tests on Monday, taking the total to 11.32 lakh at 12,580 per million population.

Out of the new cases on Monday, 618 were reported from Calcutta and 492 from North 24-Parganas. As the two districts reported 846 and 604 recoveries, respectively, the total active cases fell by 242 in Calcutta to 6,799 and by 124 in North 24-Parganas to 5,650.

“We focused on the high-incidence districts and these two were right at the top. There will be further improvement over the next few weeks,” said a minister.

Owing to the sharp spike in new cases, the positive confirmation rate is now 8.7 per cent, which was 4.7 even a month ago.

Of the total 2,100 deaths reported, Calcutta alone accounts for 962, with 14 in the 24-hour cycle till 9am. North 24-Parganas has reported a total of 490 deaths, 12 of them on Monday.

The state government reported 1,861, or 88.6 per cent, as deaths with co-morbidity “present”.

Bengal’s overall mortality rate improved to 2.13, from 3.18 per cent a month ago. But it still lags behind the current national rate of 1.99.