More than 300 sex workers at Bhiwandi town in Maharashtra’s Thane district decided to keep their trade shut for a couple of days as a precautionary measure against the coronavirus.
The sex workers decided to suspend their trade following a meeting on Friday with Dr Swati Khan, who runs a centre for children of sex workers.
More than 300 sex workers operate in the Hanuman Tekdi area of Bhiwandi, and the centre, which is affiliated to Shramajivi Sanghatana, cares for their children.
No customer would be allowed to enter the locality during this period, Dr Khan said.
Meanwhile, president of the Sanghatna Vivek Pandit said the organisation will provide daily essentials to the sex workers and their families for the next two weeks during the lockdown.
Maharashtra has so far recorded 63 positive cases of coronavirus, the highest in the country.