Kolkata, Jan 13 (PTI) West Bengal on Thursday reported 23,467 new COVID-19 cases, 1,312 more than the previous day, which raised the tally to 18,41,050, the health department said in its bulletin.

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Twenty-six more COVID-related deaths were recorded in the state, with the toll climbing to 19,985, the bulletin stated.

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The positivity rate in the state rose to 32.13 per cent from 30.86 per cent on Wednesday.

At least 8,139 people recovered from the disease in the past 24 hours as the discharge rate slipped from 92.51 per cent the previous day to 91.77 per cent.

Bengal currently has 1,31,553 active cases, the bulletin said.

As many as 73,043 samples have been tested in the state since Wednesday, taking the total number of such clinical examinations to 2,21,35,925, it added.

(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)