The Cross River State Government has confirmed a new case of COVID-19, ending a long stretch without any recorded infections and prompting the activation of emergency health measures across the state.

State Commissioner for Health, Dr Henry Ayuk, told journalists in Calabar that the patient is a 53-year-old Chinese national employed by a company operating in Akamkpa Local Government Area. According to Ayuk, the man arrived in Nigeria from China and later developed symptoms consistent with COVID-19.

He explained that the patient initially reported sick at a medical facility supervised by the Ministry of Health, where his condition deteriorated and he was referred to the University of Calabar Teaching Hospital. At UCTH, samples were collected and processed in line with national and international protocols before the infection was confirmed.

“We are happy to report that he is doing well,” Ayuk said, adding that the state’s health system had been strengthened to manage infectious disease threats. He noted that while there had been “silent infections and clear cases from time to time,” the government was prepared to respond without causing panic.

“For every ailment, every disease or outbreak identified in the state, there should be no alarm,” he said. “The state will do well in terms of surveillance and containment. Whatever it is, we will do our best to contain it.”

State Epidemiologist, Dr Inyang Ekpenyong, said the emergency response unit had been fully activated, with contact tracing and line listing already underway for all persons who may have interacted with the patient.

She pointed out that the last confirmed COVID-19 case in Cross River was recorded in 2022, and current evidence suggests the latest patient likely contracted the virus within Nigeria. “The incubation period is usually between two and 14 days,” she explained, noting that the man arrived in the country weeks before symptoms appeared.

Ekpenyong said rapid response teams have been deployed to Akamkpa to support surveillance, testing and risk communication. “There is no way we can stop this disease, but we can stop a disease outbreak,” she said. “It would be wrong not to contain or manage it by ensuring that people do not die.”

World Health Organisation Coordinator in Cross River, Dr Yewande Olatunde, underscored that COVID-19 remains a public health concern and urged residents to maintain preventive measures, including hygiene, masking in high-risk settings and early testing when symptomatic.