Bengal records 9,073 new Covid-19 cases

Kolkata: West Bengal on Tuesday reported 9,073 fresh Covid-19 infections, an increase of over 49.27 per cent in a single day, with Kolkata accounting for over half of them, the state health department said in a bulletin.

The state also logged 16 fresh fatalities that pushed the death toll to 19,810. The tally went up to 16,64,301 on Tuesday.

West Bengal on Monday registered 6,078 new cases, while the figure on last Tuesday was only 752.

The positivity rate improved to 18.96 per cent from Monday's 19.59 per cent, the bulletin said.

Of the new positive cases, Kolkata recorded 4,759, up from 1,958 registered on the previous day, the bulletin said.

The metropolis accounted for the maximum of five fresh fatalities while neighbouring North 24 Parganas district reported three, it added.

There were over 100 doctors, including faculties, post-graduate trainees (PGTs) and interns of the Medical College and Hospital, Kolkata, have tested positive for the virus, while nearly 80 faculties and PGTs of another institute of the city, the Calcutta National Medical College and Hospital have been afflicted with the disease, sources in the health department said.

Former India cricketer Laxmi Ratan Shukla, who is also an ex-minister of the state, singer-turned politician Babul Supriyo, noted Bengali poet Srijato also tested positive for Covid-19. They

Film director-turned Trinamool Congress MLA Raj Chakraborty said that he and his wife, actor Subhasree, are also down with the virus.

In the last 24 hours, 3,768 coronavirus patients recovered from the disease in the state, taking the number of cured people to 16,19,016.

The number of active cases shot up by 5,289 since Monday to 25,475.

Since Monday, 47,864 samples have been tested in West Bengal taking the total number of such clinical examinations to 2,15,46,941, the bulletin said.

Meanwhile, the state health department issued a notification withdrawing monoclonal antibodies, laboratory-made proteins, and Molunupiravir, an anti-viral medication, for the treatment of Covid-19.

Director, Health Services, Dr Ajay Chakraborty, said that monoclonal antibodies and Molunupiravir have been dropped as they are not mentioned in the guidelines of the Union Health Ministry.

The health department also said that those who are in home isolation "must not use steroids even if they have mild symptoms", the official said adding that, "a special type of inhaler is recommended for corona patients who have a severe cough".

On Tuesday, 8,55,950 Covid-19 vaccine doses were administered in the state. Out of them, 1,76,197 doses were given to people in the 15-18 years age group.