Luxembourg to Lift Most COVID-19 Restrictions

At a press conference on Friday afternoon, Luxembourg's Prime Minister Xavier Bettel and the Minister of Health, Paulette Lenert, announced plans to further ease COVID-19 restrictions in the Grand Duchy.

Prime Minister Xavier Bettel began the press conference by expressing solidarity with the Ukrainian people and emphasising the fact the the Luxembourg Government wants to avoid war and will continue to work with its international partners to put pressure on Russia to withdraw its troops from Ukraine. He noted that around 200 people fleeing Ukraine have arrived or will soon arrive in Luxembourg.

Turning to the subject of COVID-19, in light of low hospitalisation rates and Luxembourg's success in managing the Omicron wave, Prime Minister Xavier Bettel confirmed that the government has decided to drop most of the remaining health measures.

The CovidCheck regime will no longer apply to the workplace or leisure activities. The CovidCheck 3G regime will remain in place in hospitals, retirement and care homes, where masks must also continue to be worn. 

Masks remain obligatory in public transport, but will soon be optional in schools and in the commercial sector (supermarkets, etc.).

Self-isolation following a positive test result will remain in place, with testing in schools to be reduced from three times to once weekly.

Nevertheless, Luxembourg's Prime Minister recalled that the virus is still present and we must remain cautious, paying particular attention to the continued protection of vulnerable people.

Health Minister Paulette Lenert added that the easing of these restrictions was "a big step towards normality", stressing that the balance between normality and individual responsibility (and solidarity with vulnerable people) remained important.

The new COVID-19 law is set to be voted on in the Chamber of Deputies (Luxembourg's Parliament) as early as next week.