Health authorities in Cross River have debunked claims of 10 new cases of COVID-19, affirming that only one person has been diagnosed with the disease in the state.
The Cross River State Commissioner of Health, Henry Ayuk, made the clarification on Thursday during an interview on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief.
“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 said.
Ayuk said the misinformation likely arose from reports that 10 contacts had been identified, which may have been interpreted as confirmed cases by the media.
His comment came after a fresh case of COVID-19 was confirmed in Cross River after years of the pandemic that has led to the death of millions worldwide.
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The virus was confirmed in a Chinese man who arrived in Nigeria from China on March 17 and flew to Calabar for his work before he tested positive for the virus on April 17 after showing symptoms.
But the commissioner said the man is responding well to treatment and that those who were in contact with the patient are under observation.
“He was treated locally in their facility; he wasn’t improving and was referred to the teaching hospital here in Calabar,” Ayuk said.
“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,” he said.
“People who have a close relationship with him have been listed, and we are monitoring them closely for at least 14 days,” the commissioner added.
According to him, the state acted swiftly once the case was confirmed.
“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.
“We have responded and activated our public emergency operation centres with all the pillars, particularly our state management surveillance and our risk management. We have been able to put in place and activate the structure in the local government,” Ayuk said.