Senate President Godswill Akpabio yesterday directed a comprehensive investigation into reports of a fresh case of COVID-19 in Cross River State.
Akpabio spoke at the close of the day’s plenary as the Cross River State government debunked reports that there were 10 new cases of COVID-19 in the state.
The Senate President mandated the Committee on Health to urgently examine the situation.
The committee, chaired by Ipalibo Harry Banigo, is expected to investigate the reported case and present its findings at the next legislative sitting.
“I understand that COVID has broken out in one of our states. I don’t know how far this is true, but I’ve been told that COVID has come back,” Akpabio said.
The Senate President urged relevant authorities to verify the information and brief the Red Chamber.
His directive followed reports of an isolated COVID-19 case in Cross River State. The report raised concerns over surveillance, testing, and response capacity.
Health authorities are said to be monitoring the situation closely, amid calls for heightened vigilance and adherence to public health guidelines.
Lawmakers said the probe would assess the public health response, the preparedness of health institutions, and measures needed to contain any potential spread.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Health In Cross River State confirmed that a COVID-19 patient at the state’s isolation centre, a Chinese, was in a stable condition.
Speaking yesterday, the Commissioner for Health, Dr. Henry Ayuk, said: “As I explained to The Nation in our last interview, the patient is responding to treatment and in a good condition.”
But the state government debunked a report by a national daily and an online publication that 10 new patients exhibiting the COVID-19 symptoms had been recorded in the state.
It described the reports as “misleading and inconsistent with the state’s current public health records”.
In an official rejoinder yesterday, the health ministry stated: “The state still has only one confirmed case of COVID-19, with no additional infections recorded.”
The commissioner explained that the 10 individuals referenced in the report were contacts of the confirmed case, identified through routine contact tracing, and not new or suspected infections.
“As clearly communicated on April 21, there are no additional confirmed cases in Cross River State,” the ministry said.
The ministry explained that none of the identified contacts was exhibiting symptoms associated with COVID-19, emphasising that they do not fall under the category of suspected or confirmed cases.
To ensure public understanding, the ministry outlined key distinctions: contacts are individuals who have had close interactions with a confirmed case; suspected cases are those showing symptoms; while confirmed cases are individuals who have tested positive through laboratory diagnosis.
In line with standard public health protocols, the identified contacts have been placed under home isolation and are being monitored daily by health officials for any signs of the virus.
The ministry added: “This is purely a preventive measure and does not indicate any new infections.”
