Bengal COVID-19 tally crosses 5,000-mark; death toll rises to 237

The number of COVID-19 cases in West Bengal climbed to 5,130 on Saturday after 317 more people tested positive for coronavirus, the state health department bulletin said. Seven fresh deaths due to the disease were also reported in the state, taking the toll to 237, it said.

Six of the seven deaths were recorded in Kolkata while one was in North 24 Parganas district. Seventy-two patients have died due to co-morbidities where COVID-19 was "incidental", the bulletin said, adding the number of active cases in the state stood at 2,851.

Of the new cases, 80 were registered in Kolkata, 42 in Howrah, 38 in North Dinajpur, 32 in Coochbehar, 30 in North 24 Parganas district and 22 in Birbhum districts, the bulletin said. Twelve other districts also reported fresh cases since Friday evening.

The bulletin said three people from other states also tested positive for the disease. Coochbehar district of north Bengal, which had reported no case of the COVID-19 infection till Friday, registered 32 cases after migrant labourers tested positive for the infection, it added.

These 32 migrant labourers "underwent tests a couple of days back and reports showed them to be positive for the disease. These people are all asymptomatic and are undergoing treatment at a COVID-19 hospital in Siliguri," Coochbehar district magistrate said. The bulletin said 195 patients were discharged from various hospitals since Friday evening, taking the total number of people who have recovered from the disease to 1,970.

At least 9,436 samples have been tested since during this period and the total number of tests rose to 1,94,397..