Zambia’s Information Minister Dora Siliya has tested positive for coronavirus, state TV reported Saturday.

Chief government spokesperson was quoted as saying the minister, who was asymptomatic, confirmed her status on testing for the virus.

Zambia’s confirmed cases were approaching one thousand after the country widened its screening and testing.

The landlocked state of 17 million never went into a lockdown but imposed restrictions which included closing bars, casinos, gyms and schools.

But two weeks ago, President Lungu allowed reopening of gyms and casinos but not bars, saying the country had to find a way of carrying on amidst the pandemic.