Nigeria has recorded a fresh case of COVID-19, with the latest infection confirmed in Cross River State.
The Cross River State Ministry of Health has begun profiling and contact tracing of individuals who may have been exposed to a Chinese national who tested positive for the virus and has since been admitted to a health facility.
The Commissioner for Health in the state, Henry Ayuk, disclosed this in Calabar while briefing journalists on what he described as a resurgence of COVID-19 cases in Cross River.
Ayuk said the state is recording its first significant case since 2022 and assured that measures are being strengthened to prevent further spread.
According to him, the patient arrived in Nigeria on March 17, 2026, and is believed to have contracted the virus locally after the 14-day incubation period had elapsed, with symptoms reportedly observed on April 10.
He urged residents to remain calm but vigilant, stressing that there was no cause for panic as the state has the capacity to contain the situation.
The commissioner added that health workers have been deployed across communities in Akamkpa Local Government Area, where the patient reportedly lived and worked, to prevent further transmission.
Meanwhile, the World Health Organisation (WHO) Coordinator in Cross River, Yewande Olatunde, advised Nigerians to remain health-conscious, noting that COVID-19 has not been fully eradicated globally and continues to evolve into different variants. She urged continued adherence to public health guidelines.
The development comes years after the global COVID-19 pandemic, which caused millions of deaths worldwide.
In Nigeria, about 3,000 deaths were recorded, according to the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC).
First identified in China in late 2019, COVID-19 spread rapidly across the world, triggering lockdowns and widespread economic disruption before easing following the rollout of vaccines and public health interventions.
