Berlin's Reopened Brothels May Disappoint

Berlin's brothels are back open for the first time in five months, but there's a caveat: No sex allowed. While prostitution is legal in Germany, sex acts remain banned until September under coronavirus restrictions, reports AFP. At this point, clients—required to wear a mask and provide contact details, kept in a sealed envelope—can only request erotic massages. "I prefer the sexual service; my clients do, too," a 49-year-old sex worker says. Sex workers have taken to the streets of Hamburg, Cologne, Stuttgart, and Berlin in recent weeks to protest the restrictions and complain of lost income, per the Guardian. Brothel owner Aurel Johannes Marx says he's seen six-figure losses, per AFP. The outlet reports "strict hygiene regulations will remain in place" once paid sex is made permissible on Sept. 1. (More brothel stories.)