The Cross River State Government has confirmed a case of COVID-19 in the state.
The Commissioner for Health, Dr Henry Ayuk, announced this on Tuesday during a news conference in Calabar.
Ayuk said the case involves a 53-year-old Chinese national working with Lafarge in Akamkpa Local Government Area. He said the patient arrived in Nigeria on March 17 and later developed symptoms.
According to the commissioner, the man’s condition worsened while receiving care at a medical facility under the ministry, prompting his transfer to the University of Calabar Teaching Hospital, where samples were taken and protocols followed.
He said the tests later confirmed that the patient had COVID-19.
“We are, however, happy to report that he is doing well,” Ayuk said.
The commissioner said the state Ministry of Health has been strengthened by the current administration to respond to disease outbreaks and other public health emergencies.
He said the state had recorded silent infections and isolated cases from time to time, but assured residents that there was no cause for panic.
Ayuk said health officials delayed the public announcement for some days to allow due process and ensure that all procedures for identifying and confirming a COVID-19 case were properly followed.
He said the confirmation showed that the infected person is a 53-year-old Chinese national working in Akamkpa.
Also speaking, the State Epidemiologist, Dr Inyang Ekpenyong, said the state emergency response unit had been activated in response to the case.
She said contact tracing and line listing of people who may have come in contact with the patient were already underway.
Ekpenyong noted that the last confirmed COVID-19 case in Cross River was recorded in 2022. She added that the patient may have contracted the virus in Nigeria, given that he arrived from China on March 17 but only began showing symptoms on April 10, which is beyond the usual incubation period of two to 14 days.
She said rapid response teams had been deployed to Akamkpa as part of efforts to contain the situation.
“There is no way we can stop this disease, but we can stop the disease outbreak,” she said.
She added that the priority of the state was to contain and manage the case to prevent further spread and loss of life.
The World Health Organisation Coordinator in Cross River, Dr Yewande Olatunde, also reminded residents that COVID-19 had not disappeared and urged the public to keep observing preventive measures.
