West Bengal recorded a slightly lower number of Covid-19 cases with 389 fresh positive cases being detected in the last 24 hours though the situation in Kolkata remained grim with 158 cases. A total of 11,087 people have been detected with the coronavirus in Bengal till now.
North 24-Parganas has recorded 70 cases and Howrah 40 cases. Twelve patients died of the infection in the last 24 hours, taking the death toll to 475. Among the 12, six are in Kolkata and one each in North and South 24-Parganas, Howrah, West Midnapore and Darjeeling.
The recovery rate has also improved with the highest number so far of 518 patients being discharged in a single day, while a total of 5,060 patients have been cured till now.
Currently, there are 5,552 active coronavirus cases in the state. According to officials, the steady rise in coronavirus cases is due to the influx of migrant workers.
Around 10 lakh migrant workers have reached the state by either trains or buses. However, with no more Shramik Special Trains scheduled to arrive in the state further, it is expected that the situation will be arrested soon, said an official. Workers from the five most affected states namely Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh and Delhi are kept in institutional quarantine.
The workers coming from other states undergo heath screening at the railway stations and are sent to their respective districts if no symptoms are detected. Presently, there are 10,318 quarantine facilities for migrant workers wherein 94,529 returnees are accommodated.
Another 1,46,965 workers have been released from the quarantine centres.