Bengal on Saturday reported 435 new Covid-19 cases, a yet another 24-hour high.

However, the state also clocked a 24-hour high in daily testing, with 9,771 tests.

This apart, the total number of cured cases went past 3,000, with 207 releases till 9am, according to the state bulletin. The total number of cured cases rose to 3,119, a rise of 11 times since 296 a month ago.

The recovery rate — which more than doubled from 19.12 per cent a month ago — was 40.3 per cent on Friday. Even a week ago, it stood at 38.4 per cent. Calcutta reported the most recoveries, 1,073.

However, the 17 deaths reported on Saturday took the toll directly from Covid-19 past the 300 mark, to 311.

Of the 435 new cases, 419 or over 96 per cent were from districts with a high volume of migrant-worker returnees. Calcutta reported 94 new cases, neighbouring Hooghly, North 24-Parganas and Howrah 82, 60 and 56, respectively.

“Chief minister Mamata Banerjee has repeatedly attributed the spike, correctly, to the return of lakhs of migrant workers and others, especially from high-incidence states, over the past few weeks. Many of them have tested positive. It is entirely the responsibility of the Union railway ministry,” said a minister. The total cases on Saturday rose to 7,738, which was 5,130 a week ago and 1,548 a month ago.

“We, however, will do everything possible to take care of our returnee brothers and sisters,” he added.

Bengal now has 11,716 quarantine facilities for returnees on Shramik Special trains, with 1,39,488 people. This is over and above another 1,52,173 in home quarantine and 22,669 in the other 582 state-run quarantine facilities.

“The good news is 2.34 lakh have successfully completed quarantine. Of the 3.14 lakh people in quarantine now, another lakh will have completed it successfully in a week or so,” said the minister.

With the rise in cases, the occupancy in the 8,785 Covid-19 beds — in the 69 dedicated hospitals — also rose to 20.17 per cent, from 13.27 per cent a month ago.

The 9,771 tests reported on Saturday took Bengal’s tests per million count to 2,903. The total number of tests rose to 2,61,288. A month ago, Bengal was recording around 2,600 tests a day. However, the positive confirmation rate rose from 2.64 a week ago to 2.96 per cent now, indicative of higher levels of Covid-19 spread.

Sikkim

Four more persons — two men and two women — tested positive for Covid-19 in Sikkim on Saturday, taking the toll of active cases in the state to seven.