Amsterdam’s red-light district became so full of tourists over the weekend, the municipality had no choice but to close many streets and alleyways.
In Paris, there is the Eiffel Tower. In Italy, the leaning tower of Pisa. And in Amsterdam, there are the sex-workers on display in windows. The gravitational pull of the tourist attraction has not reduced during the pandemic, to the point where Amsterdam had to put the brakes on — quick.
Tourists to the area were so plentiful on the weekend that they could no longer keep their 1.5 metres distance. While the municipality had expected crowds and implemented one-way streets, it eventually had to take to Twitter to plead with tourists to stop coming.
Kom niet naar de Wallen. Het is daar te druk. Daarom sluiten wij tijdelijk een aantal straten af. ⛔#HoudAfstand #VermijdDrukte pic.twitter.com/DlMklqIzkS
— Gemeente Amsterdam (@AmsterdamNL) July 18, 2020
See the crowds in the video below:
Naar aanleiding van de aangekondigde extra maatregelen van de gemeente ben ik zelf een kijkje gaan nemen op de wallen. Ondanks extra hosts en eenrichtingsverkeer is het op de vroege avond al erg druk en is 1,5m afstand amper mogelijk. Ook zijn straatdealers volop actief. pic.twitter.com/HhMA8taMEO
— Don Ceder (@DonCeder) July 18, 2020
Can sex workers work during coronavirus?
Sex workers in the Netherlands were allowed to resume work from July 1 — under strict conditions.
“Before I make an appointment, I have to check with the client if they’re feeling ok and if they don’t have any of the symptoms, or if any of their housemates has symptoms,” Foxxy, a sex worker and activist at the Prostitution Information Center in Amsterdam, told The Guardian at the time. The majority of sex workers also avoid face-to-face contact, so no kissing.
According to Foxxy, she also needs to ensure the “disinfection and washing the hands, cleaning the sheets after every appointment. Those are the basic needs. But we don’t need to wear any face masks during the playdates, thank God.”
Are you avoiding tourist areas during coronavirus? Or living life as best as you can during the pandemic? Tell us in the comments below!
Feature Image: 8013345/Pixabay