The Cross River State Government has dismissed reports claiming that 10 new COVID-19 infections have been recorded in the state, clarifying that only one confirmed case has been detected.
The Commissioner for Health, Dr. Henry Ayuk, made this known on Thursday during an interview on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief, describing the circulating reports as false and misleading.
“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 stated.
He explained that the confusion likely came from the identification of 10 contacts linked to the confirmed case, which some people may have wrongly interpreted as 10 new infections.
The confirmed COVID-19 case involves a Chinese national who arrived in Nigeria from China on March 17 before travelling to Calabar for work. The individual reportedly began experiencing symptoms and tested positive on April 17.
Ayuk revealed that the patient initially received treatment at a private facility but was later transferred to the University of Calabar Teaching Hospital due to a lack of improvement.
“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,” the commissioner said.
He further noted that all persons who had close contact with the patient have been identified and placed under observation.
“People who have a close relationship with him have been listed, and we are monitoring them closely for at least 14 days,” he added.
According to Ayuk, the state has already activated emergency response measures to prevent possible spread, stressing that the government is treating the situation with seriousness.
“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.
He confirmed that the state’s emergency operations centre has been activated, alongside surveillance and risk management teams, with response structures also put in place at the local government level.
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