Restaurant and eatery owners found relief after the government eased requirements for the reopening of the joints.
Tourism Cabinet Secretary Najib Balala has announced that the government had lowered COVID-19 testing fee from the initial Ksh 4000 to Ksh 1000 for hotel and restaurant workers.
Balala said that the government took the move after many hotels and restaurants failed to reopen despite being given the go-ahead by the Ministry of health.
He said that lowering the testing charges will allow the majority of workers within the hotel industry to undergo the testing and allow reopening of the critical sector.
The Minister said that the move to push for reopening of restaurants was a step towards jump-starting the economy.
He, however, noted that hotels will not be allowed to offer boarding facilities and that only those dealing with food will be allowed to reopen.
Many restaurants had remained closed weeks after the government announced their reopening with many investors lamenting of the high cost of COVID-19 testing.
The hotels had been directed to facilitate their workers to undergo the test before resuming work.
Balala also said that hotels will not be charged for inspections to be carried out by the county government health officials before reopening
There will also be no charges for compliance certificates to be issued to restaurants before being cleared to reopen.
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