Cross River State has reported its first COVID-19 case since 2022 a 53-year-old Chinese expatriate working in Akamkpa LGA prompting activation of public health emergency measures.
Patient Update
Health Commissioner Dr. Henry Egbe Ayuk announced the confirmation Tuesday in Calabar: The patient, who arrived via Lagos about a month ago, showed mild symptoms, was tested at University of Calabar Teaching Hospital, and is now isolated at the state’s treatment center, responding well.
Response Activated
Officials delayed the announcement until diagnostics cleared to curb misinformation, with contact tracing underway via rapid response teams and the Emergency Operations Centre. Ayuk stressed global mobility risks but assured containment capacity, urging calm.
The state is safe. There is no cause for alarm, but we must all play our part in preventing the spread,” Ayuk reiterated.
The State Epidemiologist, Dr. Inyang Ekpenyong, confirmed that this is the first officially recorded COVID-19 case in Cross River since 2022, attributing the low visibility of recent cases to widespread vaccination and the prevalence of mild or unreported infections.
She explained that COVID-19 symptoms—such as fever, cough, sore throat, and respiratory distress in severe cases—often resemble malaria, which may contribute to underreporting.
“With even a single confirmed case, it qualifies as an outbreak, and that is why we immediately activated the Emergency Operations Centre (EOC),” Ekpenyong said.
