Fresh COVID case recorded in Cross River, Southsouth Nigeria..

A fresh case of COVID-19 has been recorded in Nigeria, with health authorities confirming the infection in Cross River State.

Report says the case involves a 53-year-old Chinese national working with Lafarge, who arrived in the country on March 17 before falling ill.

Speaking at a news conference in Calabar on Tuesday, the state Commissioner for Health, Henry Ayuk, said the patient’s condition worsened at a state medical facility, prompting his transfer to the University of Calabar Teaching Hospital.

Ayuk said samples were taken at the hospital and all required protocols followed before confirming the case as COVID-19.

“We are, however, happy to report that he is doing well,” he said.

He added that the state’s health system had been strengthened to manage disease outbreaks, noting that surveillance and containment measures were in place.

“There have been silent infections and clear cases from time to time, but there should be no alarm,” Ayuk said. “The state will do its best in terms of surveillance and containment.”

State epidemiologist Inyang Ekpenyong said the emergency response unit had been activated, with contact tracing underway.

“We are conducting line listing of those he may have been in contact with,” she said, adding that rapid response teams had been deployed to Akamkpa Local Government Area, where the patient works.

Ekpenyong noted that the last confirmed COVID-19 case in the state was recorded in 2022 and suggested the patient may have contracted the virus within Nigeria.

“The incubation period is between two to 14 days, but he developed symptoms well beyond that window,” she said.

She stressed that while the disease cannot be entirely prevented, outbreaks can be contained through effective response measures.

Also speaking, Yewande Olatunde, the World Health Organization coordinator in the state, said COVID-19 remained a public health concern.

“We must explore all preventive measures to protect ourselves,” she said.