Nigeria has recorded a new case of COVID-19 in Cross River State, health officials have confirmed.
The case was identified in Calabar and involves a 53-year-old Chinese national working in the Akamkpa area.
According to the News Agency of Nigeria, the patient arrived in the country on 17 March and developed symptoms in early April.
Speaking at a news conference, the state’s Commissioner for Health, Dr Henry Ayuk, said the patient was initially treated at a local facility before being transferred to the University of Calabar Teaching Hospital, where tests confirmed the infection.
“We are happy to report that he is doing well,” Dr Ayuk said, adding that there was no cause for alarm.
He said the state government had strengthened its health systems to manage potential outbreaks and reassured residents that surveillance and containment measures were in place.
Health officials say contact tracing is under way to identify people who may have been exposed. The state epidemiologist, Dr Inyang Ekpenyong, said emergency response teams had been deployed to Akamkpa as part of efforts to prevent further spread.
She noted that the timeline of the infection raised questions about where the virus may have been contracted.
“The incubation period is usually between two and 14 days,” she said. “This case goes beyond that window, so investigations are ongoing.”
The last confirmed case of Covid-19 in Cross River State was reported in 2022.
Meanwhile, the World Health Organization has urged continued vigilance. Its state coordinator, Dr Yewande Olatunde, said the virus remains present and called on the public to maintain preventive measures.
Authorities say efforts are focused on containing the case and preventing any wider outbreak.
