Restaurants, Cinemas, Swimming Pools, Churches, Sport Centres to Reopen This Week

On Monday 25 May 2020, Luxembourg's Prime Minister, Xavier Bettel, and the Minister of Health, Paulette Lenert, held a press conference to announce the next phase of the lockdown exit strategy which will involve the reopening of various establishments across the Grand Duchy later this week.

Based upon projection models devised by researchers, Prime Minister Bettel said that restaurants, bars and cafés can reopen this week, with those with outdoor seating (terraces - some municipalities may permit terrace areas to be enlarged) opening on Wednesday 27 May and those just with indoor seating on Friday 29 May. However, as this will be under the "new normal", such opening will be done so only with specific restrictions in place. Just four diners will be allowed per table (which must be placed two metres apart, or separated by plexiglass), unless they reside together in the same household, and sitting at the bar will not be permitted. Diners must wear masks when they arrive / leave or use the toilets, but can remove them when seated at tables. Diners must reserve tables beforehand and bars must close by midnight.

In addition to restaurants, bars and cafés reopening this week, cinemas and other cultural centres, places of workship and sport centres / gyms / fitness centres / swimming pools are also permitted to reopen as long as they ensure that social distancing can be ensured. Playgrounds (both indoor and outdoor), as well as wellness centres must remain closed for the time being.

For gatherings, the numbers permitted remain as they were, with up to 6 guests allowed into a home at a time, and up to 20 people can meet outdoors - again, as long as social distancing is maintained. Some exceptions to these rules may be permitted, e.g. for funerals, weddings and cultural events.

Despite this news of the continued steps towards deconfinement, and the increasingly low numbers of new infections over recent days, PM Bettel stressed that we must not be compacent and everyone should still practice high levels of hygiene and maintain social distancing. For the moment, the state of emergency remains in effect. The lifting of measures announced today are expected to remain in place for 4-6 weeks.

For travel abroad to neighbouring countries, PM Bettel mentioned that the border with Germany is now completely open and he expects France to re-open on or before 15 June. For Belgium, the expected date is 8 June. He stressed that late-night openings of establishments will not be permitted and "Luxembourg will not become a disco for Europe".