Kolkata, Jan 4 (PTI) West Bengal reported 25 more COVID-19 deaths on Monday, pushing the toll to 9,817, while the coronavirus tally rose to 5,55,572 with 597 fresh cases, the health department said in a bulletin.

The discharge rate improved to 96.49 per cent after 1,347 recoveries were registered in the last 24 hours, it said. Altogether, 5,36,084 people have been cured of the disease in the state.

West Bengal now has 9,671 active cases.

The maximum of eight fatalities was reported from the metropolis, while neighbouring North 24 Parganas accounted for seven deaths, South 24 Parganas (3) and Hooghly (2), the bulletin said.

North 24 Parganas recorded 174 fresh cases, Kolkata (152), South 24 Parganas (37) and Hooghly (27), it said.

Since Sunday, 25,256 samples for COVID-19 have been tested in West Bengal, pushing the total number of such clinical examinations to 72,35,326.

(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)