Biggest single-day spike of 371 COVID-19 cases in WB, 8 more deaths

(Eds: With more details)

Kolkata, May 31 () West Bengal registered the highest single-day spike in COVID-19 cases on Sunday with 371 more testing positive for the disease, the health department said.

The total number of coronavirus cases in the state currently stood at 5,501, while active cases rose to 3,027, the department said.

Eight people have succumbed to the disease in the last 24 hours -- seven from Kolkata and one from neighbouring North 24 Parganas -- raising the death toll to 245.

During the period, 187 people were discharged from different hospitals, taking the number of recoveries in the state to 2,157.

Earlier, the state government had attributed deaths of 72 coronavirus-afflicted people to comorbidities and had said COVID-19 in those cases was "incidental".

Of the 371 fresh cases, 72 are from the metropolis, 60 from North 24 Parganas, 47 from Howrah, 43 from Hooghly, 27 from Birbhum, 18 from Nadia, 13 from East Burdwan, 11 from Murshidabad, eight from Bankura, six each from West Burdwan, Purulia and South 24 Parganas, four from East Medinipore, and two from West Medinipore, the health department said in its bulletin.

In Kolkata, four residents of staff quarters at Beliaghata ID hospital one of the facilities earmarked for COVID-19 patients were found to have contracted the disease.

At least 47 cases were recorded in the northern part of the state -- 36 from Coochbehar, nine from Dakshin Dinajpur and two from Malda.

One person diagnosed with the disease was not a resident of Bengal and his whereabouts were being determined, an official said.

"A chunk of those who tested positive are migrant labourers who recently returned to Bengal from other states. These people mostly hail from districts such as Dakshin Dinajpur, Coochbehar, Malda, Murshidabad, Hooghly, North 24 Parganas, Birbhum and East Burdwan," the senior official of the department said.

As many as 9,354 samples were tested for COVID-19 since Saturday evening. The number of samples examined so far has climbed to 2,03,751, it added.

Meanwhile, a pharmacist, who had tested positive for the disease, died at a private hospital in Howrah, a source in the department said.

It is yet to be ascertained whether he died of the disease or due to comorbidity, the source said, adding contact tracing and follow-up action were underway. SCH RMS NSD