Bengal: Covid positivity rate above 2%, 12 deaths and 725 new cases

The positivity rate of daily Covid-19 infections in West Bengal rose above 2 per cent again on Saturday after remaining below it for three consecutive days, as the state recorded 12 more deaths due to the disease and 725 new cases on Saturday, a health department bulletin said.

The state's caseload increased to 16,09,118, while the death toll went up to 19,376.

The state recorded a positivity rate of 2.01 per cent on Saturday as against 1.98 per cent on Friday, the data said.

The positivity rate was 1.95 per cent on Thursday, and 1.97 per cent on Wednesday.

On November 16 and 15, the figures were 2.21 per cent and 2.88 per cent respectively.

A total of 36,117 samples were tested on Saturday, compared to 44,322 on Friday, the bulletin said.

The state recorded 725 new cases on Saturday, 152 less than the previous day's count.

Kolkata recorded the highest number of positive cases at 201 as against 242 on Friday, according to the data.

North 24 Parganas followed in the second position with 125 cases on Saturday, decreasing from 158 the previous day, the bulletin said.

Apart from Kolkata and North 24 Parganas, other districts that recorded a high incidence of cases are Hooghly (64), South 24 Parganas (61), and Howrah (54), it said.

Of the 12 deaths in the state, Kolkata and its neighbouring districts North 24 Parganas and South 24 Parganas recorded three fatalities each, a Health department bulletin said.

Paschim Bardhaman, Nadia, and Birbhum districts reported one death each, it said.

After 775 coronavirus patients were discharged on Saturday, the recovery rate stood at 98.30 per cent, it said.

A total of 15,81,697 patients have been discharged so far, it said.

The number of active cases on Saturday fell to 8,045 from 8,107 the previous day, the bulletin said.

A total of 1,99,69,270 samples have been tested in West Bengal so far, it said.