Luxembourg's Ministry of the Environment, Climate and Sustainable Development, along with the Ministry of Health, the Administration of Nature and Forests and the Department of Health, have issued an update concerning hunting during the period of COVID-19 restrictions.
The amendment to the law of 17 July 2020 on measures to combat the COVID-19 pandemic adopted on 8 January 2021 repeals the old article 3 concerning the restrictions in relation to the practice of recreational activities. From 11 January 2021, the general rules in relation to gatherings, as provided for in Article 4 of the law, apply to these activities, and therefore also to the practice of hunting.
Driven hunts are to be considered as a "gathering" as defined by the law in question. There are no exceptions for the practice of hunting. This includes:
• Any gathering between four and 10 people is subject to the condition that people wear a mask and observe a minimum distance of two metres.
• Any gathering between 11 and 100 people, indoors or outdoors, is subject to the three-fold condition that people 1) wear a mask, 2) are assigned seats, and 3) observe a minimum distance of two metres.
• Gatherings of more than 100 people are prohibited.
• Any incidental catering and drinking activity during a gathering remains prohibited. Hunting lunches and dinners are therefore prohibited. The law does not differentiate between meals eaten indoors or outdoors. The consumption of alcoholic beverages is also prohibited.
The provisions listed above apply from Monday 11 January 2021 until 31 January 2021, and only apply if the legislation relating to COVID-19 does not change. However, depending on the evolution of the epidemiological situation, it cannot be excluded that the rules will change in the following months. In this case, the organisers of driven hunts will have to adapt to comply with the measures in force at that time.
