Sam Tanson, Minister of Culture;
Credit: MCULT
On Thursday 7 January 2021, Luxembourg's Minister of Culture Sam Tanson gave a press conference outlining the guidelines for the planned reopening of the cultural sector next week.
From Monday 11 January 2021, following their closure over the Christmas period due to COVID-19 measures, cultural venues will be allowed to reopen to the public.
Commenting on this closure, which applied to some cultural institutions from 26 November and all of them from 26 December 2020, Minister Sam Tanson noted: "The cultural sector has not been spared by the health crisis. But the cultural sector is an essential sector, all the more so in a crisis as we are currently experiencing it, while on the one hand it allows us to escape and on the other hand it allows a questioning of society and decisions made".
The new bill on COVID-19 measures foresees a revival of cultural activity in Luxembourg, to the extent that all institutions will again be authorised to accommodate visitors, subject to certain conditions:
- Performance venues can accommodate up to 100 masked spectators, provided they are assigned a seat and maintain an interpersonal distance of two metres if they do not belong to the same household;
- Visitors to museums, art galleries, exhibition halls, archives and libraries must wear a mask;
- Professional artists are authorised to exercise their profession (rehearsals and performances) without wearing a mask and without interpersonal distancing;
- Recreational and amateur artistic practice, as well as educational activities within institutions, will be authorised for up to four people without having to wear a mask and without interpersonal distancing. Up to ten people can carry out such activities provided they wear a mask and respect an interpersonal distance of two metres. Up to 100 people can do so as long as everyone is seated and maintains an interpersonal distance of two meters.
These measures are accompanied by a general ban on serving food and drinks.
The Culture Minister concluded: "I encourage everyone to consult the programme of the country's cultural institutions and to rediscover the richness of our cultural offer".
Minister Sam Tanson also recalled the extension of additional aid for independent professional and intermittent performing artists until 28 February 2021 and provided an update on the “Neistart Lëtzebuerg” programme.
