Sports, schools, large gatherings. It’s time to add another thing to the list of things the coronavirus has taken away: strip clubs.
Multiple strip clubs in metro Atlanta announced Monday they are closing over fear of spreading COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus.
Magic City, which opened downtown in 1985, wrote in a social media post it was closing "until further notice." For those who have a hankering for the food, the club said on Instagram that the kitchen is staying open with adjusted hours — but there will be no dining in.
Daryl Mapp, director of branding for Magic City, told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution that guidance from Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms and federal officials led club management to the decision to temporarily close.
“Our Mayor has taken decisive action and while we could have taken other measures such as limiting guests to under 250, we believed that this was the most prudent course to support her leadership and protect the city we love,” Mapp said.
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The Cheetah, also in downtown Atlanta, wrote on Instagram it would close immediately.
The Blue Flame, which has been open since 1983 in Atlanta's Southwest, on Tuesday announced it would be closing until March 31 for to undergo "a deep cleaning and new improvements." The caption on the Instagram post apologized for the inconvenience.
Tuesday also brought the closure of another decades-old Atlanta landmark, the Clermont Lounge.
Pink Pony in Brookhaven said on Instagram it would shut down until March 30 and directed people to the website of the Atlanta-based Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The CDC says communities can reduce the spread of the virus if people practice social distancing by staying six feet apart.
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Mayor Bottoms on Monday banned gatherings of more than 50 people.
Atlanta's strip clubs aren’t known for their small crowds or distance between people.
The clubs are known as a front door to Atlanta for conventioneers, locals and musicians to preview future chart-topping hits and where our winners, like Atlanta United with the MLS Cup in 2018, go to party.
Allure Gentleman's Club on Cheshire Bridge Road and Peaches of Atlanta on Ralph David Abernathy Boulevard both posted Monday night on Instagram saying they were open for business.
AJC reporter Tia Mitchell contributed to this article.
Check out how the city’s strip clubs got ready when the Super Bowl was in town...
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