Cross River Reports New COVID-19 Case, Says No Cause for Alarm

The Cross River State Government has confirmed a new case of COVID-19, the first recorded in the state since 2022.

State Commissioner for Health, Dr Henry Ayuk, announced the case on Tuesday during a press briefing in Calabar. He said the patient is a Chinese national who works with Lafarge. The man arrived in Nigeria from China on March 17 and fell ill weeks later.

According to Dr Ayuk, the patient’s condition worsened at his company’s clinic before he was moved to the University of Calabar Teaching Hospital. Samples were taken and tested following standard protocol. Results confirmed he had COVID-19. Officials say he is now responding to treatment and “doing well.”

The Health Ministry said it is ready to handle the situation. “There is no cause for alarm,” Dr Ayuk stated. “The state has improved its surveillance and outbreak response systems. We will contain this.”

Contact tracing has already started. The state epidemiologist noted that the Chinese national only showed symptoms on April 10 more than 14 days after landing in Nigeria. This suggests he likely contracted the virus locally, not abroad. Health teams have been sent to Akamkpa, where he works, to list and monitor people he may have met.

Dr Yewande Olatunde, WHO Coordinator in Cross River, said the case is a reminder that COVID-19 is still present. “We must keep using preventive measures to protect ourselves,” she warned.

The last confirmed case in Cross River was in 2022. Officials insist that while individual cases can’t be stopped, outbreaks can be controlled if detected early.

Background Reporting: News Agency of Nigeria (NAN)

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