Kolkata, Apr 24 (PTI) Three novel coronavirus patients have died in West Bengal, taking the COVID-19 death toll to 18 in the state, Chief Secretary Rajiva Sinha said on Friday.

During the last 24 hours, 51 new COVID-19 positive cases were detected in Kolkata and districts of Howrah, North 24 Parganas, Hooghly, Purba Burdwan and Purba Medinipur, he said.

"These three deaths were confirmed by the audit committee, taking the total number of deaths in West Bengal to 18," Sinha said.

He said 943 samples were tested for the coronavirus during the past 24 hours and 103 patients have been discharged from hospitals till Friday.

Sinha said a total of 8,933 samples have been tested for the coronavirus till now in the state.

The total number of COVID-19 cases in West Bengal is 503. The Union health and family welfare ministry website puts it at 514.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)