Nigeria Identifies 10 More Persons with COVID Symptoms

By Tgnews Reporter

The Cross River State Government has identified and isolated 10 additional persons who had contact with a Chinese national confirmed to have reimported COVID-19 into Nigeria.

State Epidemiologist Dr Inyang Ekpenyong disclosed this in an interview with Daily Trust, stating that the individuals were traced through rigorous contact tracing conducted by health officials.

Ekpenyong explained that her team visited the Chinese national’s workplace in Akamkpa Local Government Area to carry out the tracing exercise. The 10 contacts have been restricted to their homes to prevent further spread of the virus.

“The Chinese national is responding to treatment at the University of Calabar Teaching Hospital (UCTH),” she added.

Dr Ekpenyong reminded residents that COVID-19, which first emerged globally about six years ago, has not been completely eradicated.

She urged the public to maintain personal hygiene by regularly sanitising their hands, wearing nose masks where necessary, and strictly following all expert guidelines to stay protected.

The news of the fresh case was first broken on Monday by the State Commissioner for Health, Dr Henry Egbe Ayuk. He assured that the state government had promptly activated all public health mechanisms to contain the situation.

Dr Ayuk noted that the world remains at risk of renewed health challenges as carriers can move across borders. “COVID-19 is not peculiar to Nigeria. But we’re determined to contain it. There’s no cause for alarm,” he said.

The index case involves a 53-year-old Chinese national working with Lafarge in Akamkpa. He arrived in Nigeria on March 17 and reportedly developed symptoms later, leading to his isolation and confirmation of COVID-19.

Health authorities have activated the state’s emergency response unit, and contact tracing efforts are ongoing.

This marks the first officially recorded COVID-19 case in Cross River State since 2022, raising cautious awareness even as officials emphasise that the situation is under control.

Residents are advised to remain vigilant, report any suspected symptoms promptly, and avoid panic while adhering to preventive measures. Further updates will be provided as contact tracing and monitoring progress.