Only 13% of the total number of active Covid-19 patients in West Bengal needs to be hospitalized, said a statement issued by the state home department urging citizens not to get panicky.

At present there are 14,709 active Covid-19 patients in the state out of which only 662 are in serious category. Around 1250 patients fall in the moderate category.

“That means only 1912 patients out of the 14,709 patients needs to be hospitalized. The rest 87% are asymptomatic and mild. There is no need to panic,” said a statement issued by the state home department on Saturday.

The department in its statement also said that the daily testing rate in West Bengal is 144 per million population, which is above the WHO threshold of 140.

Chief Secretary Rajiva Sinha, while addressing media persons at the state secretariat, also ruled out the possibility of clamping a total lockdown in Kolkata or across the state, asserting that the restrictions would be enforced strictly only in containment zones.

The state has 676 containment zones at present where the government is enforcing strict lockdown along with four other towns.

“The situation in Bengal is under control. The death rate which was earlier very high has now come down to 2.7 per cent, which is very close to the national average of 2.5 per cent,” he said.