Coronavirus | Active cases in West Bengal sees a decline for the first time

According to Home Secretary Alapan Bandyopadhyay, the recovery rate of the COVID-19 patients had also improved

A health worker wearing a protective suit uses a thermal screening device on a boy at a slum area, during a nationwide lockdown to curb the spread of coronavirus, in Kolkata.

While 110 more cases of new infections were recorded in the past 24 hours in West Bengal , for the first time in the past few weeks, the number of active COVID-19 cases in the State has reduced. The number of active cases on May 11 was 1,374, which dropped to 1,363 on Tuesday.

Active cases are the total the number of COVID-19 infections minus the people who have died and those who have been discharged from hospitals. Essentially, it is the number of COVID -19 patients who are being treated in hospitals.

According to Home Secretary Alapan Bandyopadhyay, the recovery rate of the COVID-19 patients had also improved. It had increased to 28%. The total number of infections in the State on Tuesday stood at 2,173. The State had tested 5,007 samples in the past 24 hours. The total samples tested were 52,622.

Eight more deaths were reported in the past 24 hours, taking the number to 198, of which 116 were due to viral infections and 72 due to co-morbidities.

While addressing journalists at the State Secretariat, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said many States were highlighting “comorbidity” as a reason for the COVID-19 deaths. She directed the authorities to look into the “comorbidity” factor for the death of COVID -19 patients.

The government had set up an audit committee to look into COVID-19 deaths. It has stopped looking into cause of every death due to contagious viral infection a couple of weeks ago.

Health Secretary transferred

In a significant development, the government transferred Principal Secretary of the Health and Family Welfare Department Vivek Kumar to the Environment Department. Narayan Swaroop Nigam, who was in charge of the Transport Department, will take over from him.

The reshuffle in the top bureaucracy comes at a time when the State is trying to contain the spread of COVID-19.

Mr. Kumar was one of key functionaries who were in charge of crisis management.

The Chief Minister said Mr. Nigam would hold a meeting with senior officials of the Health Department to ensure safety of doctors and front line medical staff.