Dare Babalola
Health authorities in Cross River State have dismissed widespread reports suggesting the emergence of 10 new COVID-19 cases, clarifying that only one confirmed infection has been recorded in the state.
The State Commissioner for Health, Henry Ayuk, made the clarification on Thursday during an interview on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief, where he addressed public concerns following renewed attention to COVID-19 in the state.
“I want to use this opportunity to tell Nigerians that the information that has gone around that 10 more cases have been identified in Cross River is not correct; we have only one case,” Ayuk said.
He explained that the confusion likely stemmed from reports about 10 identified contacts of the infected person, which may have been mistakenly interpreted as confirmed cases.
The clarification comes after the state recently confirmed a fresh COVID-19 case, marking a rare resurgence years after the global pandemic that claimed millions of lives worldwide.
The confirmed case involves a Chinese national who arrived in Nigeria from China on March 17 and later travelled to Calabar for work. He reportedly developed symptoms and tested positive for the virus on April 17.
According to the commissioner, the patient is currently receiving treatment and showing steady improvement at an isolation facility in Calabar.
“He was treated locally in their facility; he wasn’t improving and was referred to the teaching hospital here in Calabar,” Ayuk said.
“He is currently being kept and managed effectively at the isolation centre in Calabar. He is doing well, and he is getting better on a daily basis,” he added.
He further disclosed that individuals who had close contact with the patient have been identified and placed under active monitoring for a period of 14 days.
“People who have a close relationship with him have been listed, and we are monitoring them closely for at least 14 days,” he said.
Ayuk stressed that the state government activated emergency response systems immediately after confirmation of the case to prevent any potential spread.
“It’s an outbreak, and for us, as far as COVID-19 is concerned, when you have a case, it’s a risk to the whole, so we are not taking it lightly.
“We have responded and activated our public emergency operation centres with all the pillars, particularly our state management surveillance and our risk management. We have been able to put in place and activate the structure in the local government,” he said.
