This archive report was first published on 8 August 2020.
On August 7, 2020, Zambia's intelligence chief, Samuel Nkhoma, passed away from an undisclosed illness, according to state radio.
However, medical sources revealed that he died after testing positive for coronavirus and was being treated at an isolation centre in Lusaka, the capital city.
Secretary to the Cabinet, Dr. Simon Miti, stated that Nkhoma died after 'being sick for some time and was being attended by medical personnel.'
His last public appearance was a few days prior, when President Edgar Lungu commissioned a flyover bridge as part of the Lusaka decongestion project.
As of August 7, 2020, Zambia had recorded 21 Covid-19 deaths, with over 7,000 infections reported.
Of the 21 deaths, 20 occurred at Lusaka's University Teaching Hospital, while one was reported at the Kanyama outpost in a populated slum west of the capital.
Currently, 80 patients are admitted to health facilities, with 37 on oxygen support and six in the Intensive Care Unit.
Health officials expressed concern over the low levels of compliance to public health measures against Covid-19 among the public, which they believe is contributing to the increase in Covid-19 infections.
