11 more die of COVID-19 in West Bengal, toll nears 100

Eleven more COVID-19 fatalities have been recorded in West Bengal, raising the death toll in the state to 99, Home Secretary Alapan Bandyopadhyay said on Saturday.

At least 108 more people have tested positive for the virus in the state, taking the number of confirmed cases to 1,786, he said at the state secretariat.

Out of the 11 deaths, nine were reported from Kolkata and two others from neighbouring North 24 Parganas district.

Kolkata, North 24 Parganas, Howrah and Purba Midnapore constitute the four red zones in West Bengal along with 11 orange zones and eight green zones.

West Bengal has attributed 72 deaths to comorbidities -- cases where COVID-19 was incidental.

Bandyopadhyay said the number of active cases stands at 1,243.

Forty-nine patients in the state have been discharged from hospitals after recovery from the infection since Friday, he said.

Meanwhile, the state health department on Saturday evening issued revised policies for discharge of coronavirus patients.

"For patients with mild, very mild pre-symptoms admitted to a COVID-19 care facility can be discharged after 10 days of symptom onset and no fever for three days... At the time of discharge, the patient will be advised to follow home isolation for seven more days," it said.