AMSTERDAM (Reuters) – Sex workers will go back to work in the Netherlands this week under an easing of COVID-19 curbs, health minister Hugo de Jonge said on Monday.<\/p>\n
Authorities will also let parks, zoos, gyms and outdoor swimming pools reopen on Wednesday, after the rollout of COVID-19 vaccinations eased pressure on hospitals, the minister told reporters.<\/p>\n
Prostitution is legal in the Netherlands, but the government barred it in mid-December under restrictions to slow the spread of the coronavirus.<\/p>\n
Sex workers protested in Amsterdam in March, saying they were being discriminated against as the authorities allowed other \u201ccontact businesses\u201d including hairdressers and masseurs to reopen.<\/p>\n
During the lockdown, the government offered limited financial support to sex workers who had a valid working contract and could prove that the pandemic had cost them at least 20% of their revenue.<\/p>\n
De Jonge said vaccination and infection levels had now reached a point where the government could go ahead with plans for a measured easing of restrictions.<\/p>\n
Public libraries will reopen on Thursday and further steps, including reopening museums and allowing indoor service at restaurants, are expected in the next three weeks, he added.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis a responsible step at this moment, but we have to stay very careful\u201d, De Jonge told reporters, referring to the broader relaxation.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe see a significant contribution from vaccinations. But we\u2019re not there yet,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n
Coronavirus infections in the Netherlands have dropped by more than a quarter this month, after climbing to their highest levels of the year in April.<\/p>\n
This has cut the number of COVID-19 patients in hospitals by more than 10% in the past week, as new admissions fell more than 20%.<\/p>\n
Since the start of the pandemic, around 1.6 million coronavirus infections have been confirmed in the country of 17 million people, with more than 20,000 deaths.<\/p>\n