Prostitutes were not allowed to work in Berlin for more than seven months. Now the government started to make some steps toward allowing them to work again. Brothels are officially reopened in the capital city of Germany but clients can’t expect too much.
Sexual intercourse is still not allowed, while other services such as bondage and massages can be requested from sex workers. Only one client is allowed per sex worker and an appointment has to be made beforehand every time.
Which Services are Still Banned?
There is a range of services that sex workers can’t provide for the meantime which include gang bang parties, kissing, sex in trailers and facial practices.
Only those clients can visit sex workers who can show a negative Covid test. Besides that, clients and prostitutes need to wear medical masks until the client leaves. The only exception is when the woman wants to offer oral sex, which is when she can take the mask off.
The goal of the currently active health measures is to minimize the risk of infection. This system is not perfect and still needs to be improved by the health administration.
Update: On June 15th, the rules have been officially changed. Oral sex is not allowed for prostitutes anymore according to the new Corona ordinance. The rest of the rules are pretty much unchanged. Services that require close to the face interaction are not allowed.
Both the client and the prostitute have to be tested negative and they need to wear medical masks until the client leaves. Sex workers are allowed to provide services related to bondage and erotic massages, while sexual intercourse is still banned.
The rules are changing in Vienna as well. Prostitutes can work more freely and all they need to do is to perform regular health checks, get tested and respect the Covid measures. Read more about the situation in Vienna in the following article: News Outlets Claiming that Prostitution is Allowed Again
Also, take a look at the current rules and regulations that are active in Germany where prostitutes can work in a number of federal states: Re-Opening in Germany
The situation is a bit worse in Switzerland where the paysex scene is pretty much stagnating and many sex workers are not even able to get social aid: Summary of Sex Workers’ Last Year in Switzerland