21.4.2026
Cases of COVID 19 have been recorded in Cross River State after citizens contracted the disease from a Chinese national.
According to Cross River health officials the Chinese was admitted for treatment and those who came in contact with him were infected.
The Cross River State Ministry of Health has begun profiling and tracing individuals in the state who have been in contact with the Chinese national.
The commissioner for health in the coastal state, Henry Ayuk, disclosed this in Calabar while briefing newsmen on a resurgence of the deadly SARS variant, Covid-19, in Cross River State.
Ayuk said Cross River is recording its first significant case since 2022 and promised to curb the spread of the virus even further.
According to him, the patient who arrived in the country on March 17 2026 is believed to have contracted the virus within Nigeria after surpassing the 14-day incubation period, as signs and symptoms were noticed on April 10.
The commissioner urged Cross Riverians to remain watchful but free to go about their daily legitimate duties, as the state is capable of fighting and preventing the spread of the epidemic.
He noted that the ministry under his watch has mobilised health workers across communities in Akamkpa Local Government Area, where the patient lived and worked, to avert possible spread.
Meanwhile, the World Health Organisation (WHO) coordinator in Cross River, Yewande Olatunde, has warned Nigerians to remain health-conscious, noting that COVID-19 has not fully been eradicated globally, with different strains developing, as he encouraged residents to remain vigilant and adhere to public health guidelines.
The resurgence of the disease came years after the COVID-19 pandemic led to the death of millions globally.
In Nigeria, the disease killed about 3,000 people, according to the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC).
COVID-19, first reported in China in late 2019, spread to several other countries, leading to lockdowns and paralysis of economic activities across the globe.
But things began to ease off after more than one year, with vaccines and other health and safety protocols rolled out in many nations. Channels TV reports
Covid 19 testing... panic in Cross River State.