MOSCOW, July 16. /TASS/. Moscow restaurants without outdoor seating lost 60-85% of their revenue during the time that mandatory QR codes were in effect, the State Secretary, Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade of the Russian Federation Viktor Yevtukhov said on Friday.

At the same time, since June 28, the restaurant industry has managed to vaccinate 60% of its employees, which made it possible to soften the restrictions. "On average, for restaurants, especially without outdoor seating the drop in revenue was from 60% to 85%, while a part of fast food outlets, pizzerias that traditionally dealt with take-out even slightly increased their revenue, in relation to the period before the introduction of codes for visitors," noted Evtukhov.

Yevtukhov believes that the Moscow authorities have made the most balanced decision, worked out with the government, based on the timely implementation of the vaccination campaign indicators in public catering in Moscow and the Moscow region. "Moscow food service is great. A significant part of companies in the same Moscow and the Moscow region managed to vaccinate more than 60% of employees. Industry and Trade Ministry, for its part, did a lot of work with the industry. The Federal Tax Service and the Moscow authorities, a drop in revenue and the general situation with the rate of immunization, were negotiating," Yevtukhov said.

He also expressed the hope that in the future the government "will be able to avoid serious restrictions on food service in the regions, and the industry will continue to work and recover after the closures". Despite the fact that in January - May 2021, the turnover of catering in Russia increased by 24% compared to the same period of the crisis in 2020, this is still 4% less than the indicators of the dockyard 2019, Yevtukhov said.

Earlier, the authorities of Moscow and the Moscow region announced the easing of restrictions due to the coronavirus in connection with the good dynamics of vaccination. On July 19, the QR code system in the Moscow region will be at the discretion of each establishment.