Amid fears of a renewed COVID-19 outbreak, the Cross River State Government has said only one case has been detected, contrary to reports of 10 new infections.
The Cross River State Commissioner for Health, Henry Ayuk, made the clarification on Thursday during an interview on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief, dismissing the widely circulated claims as inaccurate.
“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.
Ayuk explained that the misinformation likely stemmed from reports that 10 contacts had been identified, which may have been misinterpreted as confirmed cases.
His comments followed the confirmation of a fresh COVID-19 case in the state after years since the peak of the pandemic, which claimed millions of lives globally.
The confirmed case involves a Chinese national who arrived in Nigeria from China on March 17 and later travelled to Calabar for work. The individual reportedly tested positive for the virus on April 17 after developing symptoms.
Providing an update on the patient’s condition, Ayuk said the individual is responding well to treatment
“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.
The commissioner also noted that individuals who had contact with the patient have been identified and are being closely monitored.
“People who have a close relationship with him have been listed, and we are monitoring them closely for at least 14 days,” he said.
According to Ayuk, the state government has activated its emergency response mechanisms to contain 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,” he said.
“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,” Ayuk added.
