1,600 Fines Issued in 5 Weeks for Non-Compliance of COVID-19 Restrictions

The Grand Ducal Police have reported that police officers carried out more than 5,000 checks in Luxembourg over the past five weeks during which around 1,600 fines were issued for non-compliance of government measures aimed at containing COVID-19 (coronavirus).

Since the introduction of a series of measures in the fight against COVID-19 on 18 March 2020, the police carried out an average of 1,000 checks per week (140 per day) to monitor and ensure compliance with these measures.

At the start of the confinement period, police checks reportedly focused mainly on travel restrictions on public roads, particularly on the country's main motorways. Police officers also focused on gatherings of people who do not live together. Although most of the 1,600 fines issued over the past five weeks resulted from the latter, the police also issued around 60 fines to shops and cafés for non-compliance with imposed closures, as well as private construction sites.

With the introduction of an additional government measure this week, that is the obligatory wearing of face masks on public transport and other public spaces (where a two-metre interpersonal distance is not possible), the police have been informing and educating non-compliant individuals in a first phase. From next week on, officers will be issuing fines of up to €145 to people who fail to adhere to this new measure.