Highest daily spike ever in state with 20,136 cases

KOLKATA: A record single-day spike of 20,136 Covid cases were reported across Bengal on Tuesday taking the total infection tally to 10,32,740. The state has registered 132 fatalities in the past 24 hours. Around 12,593 people have so far died of Covid in Bengal.

As many as 18,994 patients recovered from the disease in a span of 24 hours taking the total count of recoveries to 8,92,474. Covid recovery rate on Tuesday remained at 86.42 percent. The number of active Covid patients stood at 1,27,673. The percentage of positive cases out of the sample tested stood at 9.30.

The state has so far carried out 1,10,99,069 Covid sample tests out of which 68,142 tests were performed in the past 24 hours. Out of total 132 death on Tuesday, North 24-Parganas registered 39 and Kolkata has seen 37, South 24-Parganas has seen 15, Howrah 2, Hooghly 7, West Burdwan 1, East Burdwan 1, West Midnapore 4, Bankura 2, Purulia 3, Birbhum 4, North Dinajpur 1, Jalpaiguri 8, Darjeeling 7, Kalimpong 1.

Meanwhile, Islamia Hospital, the president of which is state Transport Minister Firhad Hakim, will be thrown open for Covid patients from May 16.

"We don't have treatment experience and lack doctors at Islamia Hospital that is why, we collaborated with Charring Cross Hospital. It will be run by Islamia Hospital and Charring Cross will provide manpower and all technical support," pointed out Hakim.

Initially, there will be 50 beds and 10 ICUs with ventilations at the hospital. In future, the number of beds will be increased to 150 with 25 ICUs. Patients having Swasthya Sathi Card can take admission at the hospital. People not having Swasthya Sathi Card will have to pay for the treatment.

Meanwhile, Kolkata in the past 24 hours has registered 3,973 fresh cases and North 24-Parganas 3,998. The total death toll in Kolkata has so far reached 3,749 whereas North 24-Parganas has lost 3,124 people so far. The tally of infected patients in Kolkata has gone up to 2,34,804 while North 24-Parganas has so far seen a total 2,21,304. South 24-Parganas has registered 1,115 new Covid cases in the past 24 hours. The total number of Covid infected patients in South 24-Parganas has gone up 63,460. Howrah and Hooghly have so far registered 1,175 and 611 deaths respectively and total infected cases in these two districts are 62,522 and 51,995 respectively.

There are a total 182 dedicated hospitals and 18,629 earmarked beds have been introduced out of which around 2,711 ICU/HDU beds are functional in Covid hospitals. Around 1,298 ventilators are still functioning in Covid hospitals. There are currently 200 Safe Homes and around 11,507 beds are there in these Safe Homes. There are 2,329 people currently in Safe Homes. Around 113 testing laboratories have been made functional in the state while one is waiting for approval. One more lab will soon be made operational. It has been waiting for approval. There are around 73,429 people currently in home quarantine while 25,60,485 people have been released from home quarantine so far.