A new set of measures to contain the spread of COVID-19 will be introduced in Luxembourg on Christmas. This was announced at a press conference on the evening of 21 December by Prime Minister Xavier Bettel and Health Minister Paulette Lenert.
Should the new rules be approved by Parliament, they will come into force this week and will last at least until 10 January, reports RTL.lu. Over this period, it is expected for healthcare workers to get vaccinated.
Stricter measures to be introduced in Luxembourg on 26 December
Although there is a downward trend in the number of infections, this is not enough to allow for contact tracing, the government officials informed yesterday. The number of new daily infections – around 400 – should decrease by half, as currently, it is too high to allow for control of the disease. Hence, the existing measures in Luxembourg will be reinforced and extended.
Accordingly, starting from Saturday 26 December, the restrictions in Luxembourg will go as follows:
- The existing curfew (11 pm to 6 pm) will be extended to start at 9 pm.;
- All non-essential shops will close, and so will Horeca establishments and beauty salons;
- Restaurants and cafés continue to operate with deliveries and takeaways only;
- Schools go into distance learning mode;
- There is a ban on alcohol consumption in public spaces;
- Sports facilities close and organised sports events are cancelled. Individual sports practice will still be possible.
Furthermore, for those who break the abovementioned restrictions, the fines have been raised from 145 to 300 euros.
The new restrictions will be discussed in the Parliament’s Health Committee on Tuesday and will be voted on by the Chamber on Thursday, 24 December.
The minister of health was adamant that the personal contacts with friends and family represent the greatest risk for contracting the virus, hence the measures aim to limit them. She also quoted a French study called Contact Covid, showing how most people are aware of the situation in which they contracted the virus and that in almost half of these situations they were not wearing a mask or respecting safety distance.
Source: TheMayor.EU
