• Mutua says his government has taken adequate measures to address coronavirus.
• Says shopping malls and industries which do not supply hand sanitisers to workers and customers risk being shut.
The Machakos government has approved a Sh100 million emergency fund to tackle coronavirus.
Governor Alfred Mutua said the money will help his government prevent the spread of Covid-19.
While briefing the press in Mavoko on Tuesday, Mutua said his government had taken adequate measures to address the scourge of coronavirus.
Business and government operations in the county will continue as usual despite the coronavirus threat, he said.
He applauded President Uhuru Kenyatta's recent measures to contain Covid-19 but said factories and businesses should not be shut down to avoid economic disaster.
He said many Kenyans depended on factories and businesses for their income and balanced actions should be taken to avoid total disruption.
"Covid-19 is a very serious disease and its spread can really strain our budgets," the governor said.
"But even as you combat Covid-19, there is another impact on the economy because economies from poor countries like Kenya will be shut down and that means trouble."
He said businesses and services will continue but operators must put in place measures to protect their workers.
"We will continue reviewing this but if we lock down Machakos for about three months we will lose about Sh1.5 billion in revenue alone and that means we will not be able to deal with the economic problems," Mutua said.
The governor said his government had trained 19 health workers on the handling of the virus.
The county had procured medical equipment, including over 10,000 medical kits, for medical personnel and patients, he said.
No case has been reported in the county. Mutua said Machakos Level 5 Hospital has been fully equipped to deal with coronavirus.
Mutua urged Machakos residents to observe hygiene measures to prevent the spread of the virus.
Edited by Henry Makori