Amsterdam’s Red Light District was closed by the municipality on Saturday night after a high number of tourists made it impossible for 1,5-metre distance to be maintained.

Busy weekend in Amsterdam

The municipality of Amsterdam had expected it to be a busy weekend in the city, and had warned people against travelling into the centre to avoid overcrowding. A warning had also been issued that, should specific streets or areas become congested, they would be closed off to the public. 

On Saturday, at around 11 pm, the municipality took to social media to ask people not to go to the Red Light District and announced that several streets had been temporarily closed. Residents in the area said it was impossible for the advised 1,5-metre distance to be maintained on several bridges and streets. Most of the people out that evening were tourists, and most had travelled from other Dutch cities to enjoy a weekend in Amsterdam.

On Friday, July 17, Amsterdam mayor Femke Halsema expressed concerns about the increasing busyness in the city, and consequently the risk of a rise in coronavirus infections. The municipality is set to evaluate the measures that were in place over the weekend this week, and discuss any potential future plans.  

Source: AT5

One-way shopping streets

The municipality of Amsterdam also enforced a one-way system on a number of streets in the capital to ensure distance could be maintained between members of the public, even in busier and narrower streets. 

Alongside one-way systems in the narrow streets of the Red Light District, there was also a one-way set-up in place on both Saturday and Sunday on the Kalverstraat. Shoppers could only walk down the street from the Dam towards Muntplein to ensure more space was available.