West Bengal on Tuesday recorded 56 deaths due to COVID-19 in the past 24 hours taking the toll to 7,013. The State also recorded 3,981 new cases in the past 24 hours taking the tally to 3,85,589.
With more discharges than the number of infections the active cases in the State dropped to 36,443 and the discharge rate improved to 88.73%. The percentage of positive cases out of samples tested increased to 8.22%.
Speaking about the COVID-19 situation, West Bengal Chief Secretary Alapan Bandhyopadhyay said that despite the Durga Puja festival been concluded recently, the weekly and overall average positivity rate, death rate and infection rate have declined. Calling the development significant, he said it has given “some confidence to the State government” and added that the State government is also augmenting the health infrastructure for the COVID-19 pandemic.
Mr. Bandhyopadhyay’s remarks assume significance because of apprehensions of a spike in COVID-19 cases after the Durga Puja festival. The Calcutta High Court had declared community Durga Puja pandals as no entry zones as a measure to contain the spread of the pandemic.
