The Cross River State government says it has identified and isolated 10 persons who interacted with the Chinese national who reimported COVID-19 into Nigeria.

Speaking with Daily Trust, the state epidemiologist, Dr Inyang Ekpenyong, said they were identified during contact tracing carried out by health officials.

She said her team visited the Chinese national’s work place in Akamkpa Local Government Area of the state.

Ekpenyong added that the Chinese national is now responding to treatment at the University of Calabar Teaching Hospital (UCTH).

“We’ve restricted their movements to their homes, so that they do not spread the symptoms to other persons.”

“As for the Chinese national, he is responding to treatment,” she disclosed.

The epidemiologist reminded members of the public that COVID-19, which broke out six years ago, had not been totally eliminated.

She cautioned people to habitually sanitise their hands, use nose masks, and adhere to other prescriptions by experts.

The commissioner for health in the state, Dr Henry Egbe Ayuk, broke the news of the return of COVID-19, on Monday, but assured that the state government had already activated all public health mechanisms to contain the outbreak.

The commissioner said the world was at risk of another health challenge, since COVID carriers may move from one country to another.

“COVID-19 is not peculiar to Nigeria. But we’re determined to contain it. There’s no cause for alarm,” he had said.