Health Officials Confirm New COVID-19 Infection In Cross River
A renewed COVID-19 case has been confirmed in Cross River State, marking the first officially reported infection since 2022 and prompting a reactivation of public health response measures.
The State Commissioner for Health, Dr Henry Ayuk, disclosed the development during a news conference in Calabar on Tuesday, stating that the index case involves a 53-year-old Chinese national working in Akamkpa Local Government Area. According to him, the individual arrived in Nigeria on March 17 and later developed symptoms on April 10.
Ayuk said the patient initially received care at a medical facility under the ministry before being transferred to the University of Calabar Teaching Hospital, where samples were taken and laboratory protocols completed. “The protocols have been followed and confirmed that a 53-year-old Chinese who works in Akamkpa Local Government Area of the state has COVID-19,” he said, adding that the patient is currently stable and responding to treatment.
The commissioner noted that although sporadic infections may occur, the state government has strengthened its health system to manage outbreaks. “We are determined that for every ailment, every disease or outbreak, if it is identified here in the state, there should be no alarm,” he stated, stressing that surveillance and containment mechanisms are in place.
Providing epidemiological insight, the State Epidemiologist, Dr Inyang Ekpenyong, said the timeline of symptom development suggests the infection may have been contracted within Nigeria. She explained that the virus has an incubation period of between two and 14 days, making the April 10 onset inconsistent with exposure prior to the patient’s arrival on March 17.
Ekpenyong confirmed that the state’s emergency response centre has been activated, with rapid response teams deployed to Akamkpa. Contact tracing and line listing of individuals who may have interacted with the patient are ongoing. “There is no way we can stop this disease, but we can stop the disease outbreak,” she said, emphasising containment and mortality prevention as key priorities.
Public health records indicate that Cross River last reported a confirmed COVID-19 case in 2022, following the broader national decline in infections after the peak of the pandemic. Nigeria, according to data from the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control, recorded over 266,000 confirmed cases and more than 3,100 deaths between 2020 and 2023, with vaccination and natural immunity contributing to reduced transmission rates in subsequent years.
Also speaking, the World Health Organisation Coordinator in the state, Dr Yewande Olatunde, cautioned that the virus remains in circulation globally. “We must explore all preventive measures to protect ourselves,” she said, reinforcing the need for vigilance despite reduced public attention to the disease.
Health authorities have not announced any new restrictions but maintain that early detection, isolation, and monitoring remain central to preventing wider spread.