The Cross River State Government has confirmed a fresh case of COVID-19, marking a concerning development years after the last recorded infection in the state.
The State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Henry Ayuk, disclosed this on Tuesday during a press briefing in Calabar. He revealed that the index case involves a 53-year-old Chinese national working with Lafarge, who arrived in Nigeria on March 17 before falling ill weeks later.
Ayuk explained that the patient’s condition initially deteriorated at a state medical facility, prompting his transfer to the University of Calabar Teaching Hospital (UCTH), where samples were taken in line with established protocols. The results later confirmed COVID-19 infection.
ALSO READ WHO warns U.S. exit makes world less safe, defends COVID-19 response
Despite the diagnosis, the commissioner reassured the public that the patient is responding well to treatment.
He emphasised that the state’s health system has been strengthened to effectively detect and manage infectious disease outbreaks, urging residents not to panic.
“Although there have been isolated and silent infections from time to time, we are fully prepared to manage any outbreak. There is no cause for alarm,” Ayuk said.
He noted that authorities delayed public disclosure for a few days to ensure proper verification and strict adherence to testing protocols before confirming the case.
Also speaking, the State Epidemiologist, Dr. Inyang Ekpenyong, announced that the Emergency Response Unit has been activated, with rapid response teams deployed to Akamkpa Local Government Area, where the patient works.
She added that contact tracing and line listing of individuals who may have interacted with the patient are already underway as part of containment measures.
Ekpenyong pointed out that the timeline of symptom onset suggests the patient may have contracted the virus within Nigeria, as symptoms appeared well beyond the typical 2–14 day incubation period after arrival.
“We may not be able to completely stop the disease, but we can prevent an outbreak. Our priority is to contain it and ensure it does not lead to fatalities,” she said.
In her remarks, the World Health Organisation (WHO) Coordinator in the state, Dr. Yewande Olatunde, reminded residents that COVID-19 remains a global health concern and called for strict adherence to preventive measures.
She urged the public to remain vigilant and continue practicing basic safety protocols to limit the risk of transmission.
