As things begin to look towards the direction of normality, the controversial Red Light District in Amsterdam has been been given the green light to reopen next week.
This is contrary to the original plans set out by the Dutch government, as the reopening plans were set to take place from the start of September. This date has now been revisited after lockdown measures have been eased throughout the country and now the Red Light District is due to open next Wednesday, the 1st of July.
As you’d expect with the very intimate business model that this district has, there has been alterations and guidelines introduced to make trading as safe as possible. Sex workers are now expected to avoid any instances of oral sex and to wear gloves upon the welcoming of customers.
The director of the VER union for relaxation businesses, André van Dorst told The Sunday Telegraph the following – “There are already public health institute hygiene protocols, which were no problem to introduce in the industry and are in general complied with. The same thing will happen with corona because nobody trusts this virus – everyone is in safety mode.”
The news of the revised reopening has been mostly welcomed by sex workers, as a majority of people that work in this sector have not been eligible for government support and have suffered financial losses in earnings.
The President Of The Union Of Sex Workers in Amsterdam, Felicia Anna told ANP the following, “Everyone is very happy with the news that we can finally reopen. We have no more money.”
In other COVID related news, Leicester could face further lock-down measures following a rise of cases. Read more on the story here.