Governor shuts down all mortuaries in his county due to corona virus fears

Kakamega Governor Wycliffe Oparanya has ordered the closure of all mortuaries in his county as part of the prevention strategies against the deadly coronavirus.

Oparanya further directed that families should carry out immediate burials until the deadly epidemic is contained.

County governments have announced a raft of measures to compliment the national government which is currently handling a total of three confirmed cases.

The ban on burials was also implemented in China where the virus started and was most pervasive.

As the country recorded more deaths, the Chinese government issued an order prohibiting funeral ceremonies for those who have died from the virus.

The move was criticized by some scientists who indicated that the risk of a corpse transmitting the virus was low.

"The risk for droplet transmission from a dead body is extremely low although there is a long history of fear from dead bodies during epidemics," Dr Hagai Levine, professor of epidemiology with expertise in outbreak investigation in Israel, told Al Jazeera.