Bengal on Thursday reported a rise for the eighth day on the trot in its total active Covid-19 cases, by 921.
With this, from 14,702 on June 9 to 22,073 now, the total number of active Covid-19 cases in the state has risen by 7,371 or over 50 per cent in the past eight days.
The total number of active cases, which fell sharply from 1,32,181 on May 21 to 14,702 or by 89 per cent by June 9, started rising again from June 10.
On Thursday, only 2,033 recoveries were logged against 3,018 new infections. Bengal reported 64 deaths, including 11 from Calcutta and 17 from North 24-Parganas, the two worst affected districts.
Among the day’s cases, Calcutta logged 366 and North 24-Parganas 431 infections.
Bengal now has 2.78 per cent of the national total of active cases, and is eighth among states with the most active cases. It had fallen from sixth to 13th place in a matter of days earlier this month.
Bengal’s Covid-19 recovery rate, which began declining last Friday to snap a 39-day spell of rise, fell to 97.34 per cent on Thursday. The national recovery rate is 96 now.
“This (rise in active Covid cases) is part of a wider, pan-India trend, from over the past week or so. It is not happening in Bengal alone. There is no cause for great worry at this stage,” said a minister.
The daily confirmation rate, which had peaked in the second wave with nearly 33 per cent, was 5.42 per cent on Thursday.
Bengal’s overall mortality rate, with 17,182 deaths in total, is 1.16 per cent, while the national rate is 1.28.