Busia County Coronavirus Emergency Committee has issued strict measures aimed at preventing a Covid-19 outbreak.
Governor Sospeter Ojaamong and County Commissioner Joseph Kanyiri, who co-chair the committee, addressed a joint press conference after a meeting outside the Busia County Referral Hospital (BCRH), on Wednesday 25th March. The two told the residents that it would not be business as usual, urging them to remain vigilant and follow the safety guidelines issued by the Ministry of Health to the latter.
Governor Ojaamong said that no dead bodies from other counties would be allowed into the county’s mortuaries, adding that bereaved families should collect the bodies of their loved ones within 48 hours and bury them immediately.
“We have agreed to have all the public servants in non-essential areas to be working from their homes, and others encouraged to proceed on annual leave,” said Ojaamong.
Market days have been suspended, but small markets and shops in neighbourhoods will remain open on condition that they observe social distancing and the people are not be allowed to congregate.
The governor said that all bars would remain closed while restaurants are encouraged to serve take-away food.
Ojaamong later commissioned the spraying of the hospital and other public places, adding that the fumigation would also cover residential areas.
County Commissioner Kanyiri warned businessmen against inflating commodity prices.
He also warned traders against selling contraband goods, including sanitisers not certified by the Kenya Bureau of Standards.
Kanyiri said that no positive Covid-19 case had been reported in the county. However, six people, including a retired priest in Malaba, who had arrived from the United Kingdom, had been quarantined to their homes.
