The Netherlands expects to further relax coronavirus restrictions next week, giving the green light to sex workers and zoos so long as cases keep falling, Prime Minister Mark Rutte said, writes Inquirer.

Dutch gyms, swimming pools and amusement parks will also be allowed to reopen on May 19, while cafes and restaurants with outdoor terraces that restarted last week will be permitted longer opening hours.

Rutte said there was “one condition” which was that intensive care and hospital admissions must have fallen further by May 17, otherwise the “pause button is pressed”.

“We don’t think it will come to that, but we have to take it into account. We want nothing more than to give space to society, but we also do not want to make mistakes, just before the finish”, - he added.

The lifting of the ban on sex work will be a major boost to Amsterdam’s famed Red Light district, which has been effectively shuttered since October.