At least 28 more people,  including three security personnel, tested positive for COVID-19 in Arunachal Pradesh, which took the tally of the state to 16,948, a senior official said on Saturday.

The death toll remained unchanged at 56, State Surveillance Officer Dr Lobsang Jampa said. Of the 28 cases, 24 were detected through rapid antigen tests, three via the RT-PCR method and one with the help of the TrueNAT process.

Eight new cases were reported from the Capital Complex Region, seven from Lower Dibang Valley, five from West Kameng, two each from Papumpare and East Kameng and one each from Leparada and East Siang district, Jampa said.

Two army men and an Indo Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) jawan are among the new patients, the SSO said.

The total number of recoveries rose to 16,800 after two more persons recuperated from the disease, he stated. The recovery rate stood at 99.13 per cent and the positivity rate at 0.54 per cent.

Lower Dibang Valley district has the highest number of active cases at 33, followed by the Capital Complex Region — comprising Itanagar, Naharlagun, Nirjuli and Banderdewa areas — at 32, Jampa said.

As many as 4,19,072 samples have been tested so far, including 571 on Friday, Dr Jampa said. Meanwhile, State Immunization Officer Dr Dimong Padung said 1,65,414 people have been inoculated in Arunachal Pradesh since the vaccination drive began in January this year.