West Bengal records 20,846 new COVID-19 cases in highest single-day spike

Kolkata: West Bengal on Friday registered its highest single-day spike of 20,846 new COVID-19 cases, taking the overall count to 10,94,802, the health department said in its bulletin. The toll rose to 12,993 after 136 more people, including five eminent doctors, succumbed to the infection, the bulletin said. Senior BJP leader Mukul Roy and his wife Krishna are among those who contracted the disease. Roy, who is the saffron party’s vice president, is currently undergoing home isolation, sources in the health department said. Of the 136 deaths, 67 were due to the comorbidities where COVID-19 was incidental. North 24 Parganas district accounted for 42 fatalities and Kolkata 34. The five doctors who lost their lives are well-known pathologist Dr Subir Kumar Dutta (90), renowned physician from Barasat, Dr Utpal Sengupta (in his 70s), surgeon Dr Satish Ghata (late 70s), Dr Sandipan Mandal (37) of Murshidabad Medical College and Hospital, and gynaecologist Dr Dilip Chakraborty. At least 19,131 recuperated from the disease since Thursday, taking the total number of recoveries to 9,50,017. The recovery rate stands at 86.78 percent. North 24 Parganas, too, recorded the highest one-day surge of 4,197 cases, while the city reported 3,955 new infections. Accordingly, the number of active cases climbed to 1,31,792, the bulletin said. As many as 1,13,09,467 samples have been tested in the state thus far, including 70,051 since Thursday, it added.