3-phase Lockdown Exit Strategy for Luxembourg Announced

On Wednesday 15 April 2020, following agreement by the cabinet of the government, Luxembourg's Prime Minister, Xavier Bettel, announced a 3-phase Lockdown Exit strategy for the Grady Duchy of Luxembourg.

The main points include:

- Phase 1, Mon 20 April: re-opening of construction sites, gardening services, DIY centres, educational support services (not schools, creches), recycling centres; Mon 4 May: final year classes at secondary schools and universities.

- Phase 2, Mon 11 May: re-opening of secondary schools;

- Phase 3: Mon 25 May: re-opening of primary schools and creches.

In addition, no large gatherings will be permitted until 31 July: this include the national celebrations ("Grand Duke's Birthday celebrations") held annually on 22 June.

In the meantime, everyone is informed to remain at home and to continue practicising social distancing. This "deconfinement" startegy balances the imperatives of public health and the psycho-social and economic aspects linked to the current confinement.

As the daily announcements on the rate of new infections in Luxembourg shows a downward trend, they reflect the effect sought by the containment measures implemented on 16 March 2020. However, the government has decided to announced a phased lifting of containment measures, with the deconfinement strategy addressing many areas including the protection of particularly vulnerable groups, ensuring hospital capacities are sufficient in the short and medium term, and developing testing capacities and supporting research.

The Prime Minister and the Minister of Health may submit to the cabinet at any time a proposal to reintroduce more stringent containment measures if, for example, hospital capacity is likely to reach a critical level which calls into question good patient care.

At its meeting of 15 April 2020, the government cabinet set up an ad hoc group to support the measures decided on in the fight against the virus and to regularly assess the side effects of these measures and of containment. The group is made up of the following people: Nora Back - President of the Chamber of Employees; Alexa Ballmann - President of JHL (Jonk Handwierk); Luc Frieden - President of the Luxembourg Chamber of Commerce; Erny Gillen - Ethics expert; Claudia Monti - Mediator of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg (Ombudsman); Gilbert Pregno - Psychologist and President of the Consultative Commission for Human Rights; René Schlechter - President of the Ombuds-Committee for the Rights of the Child (ORK); Claus Vögele - Full Professor Health psychology at the University of Luxembourg.

Any resumption of activities will be accompanied by very strict barrier gestures and supplemented by the compulsory wearing of a mask or any other device allowing the nose and mouth to be covered for situations of interpersonal contact if the distance from sanitary security 2 metres cannot be guaranteed.

Later phases will see the resumption of commercial activities and the reopening of the HORESCA sector (restaurants, cadés, pubs, etc.). At this stage, however, it is premature to give specific dates on the lifting of restrictions on this sector. A final decision will be taken in due course by the Government cabinet on the basis of an analysis of the situation. Companies, businesses and civil servants are generally encouraged to continue to promote teleworking throughout the course of containment.

Gatherings will remain prohibited until 31 July, with the exception of funerals and civil weddings which will be authorised for a maximum number of 20 people and provided that an interpersonal distance of 2 metres is respected. The prohibitions set out in Article 2 of the amended Grand-Ducal Regulation of 18 March 2020 introducing a series of measures in the context of the fight against COVID-19 will be maintained.

The containment measures currently in place for vulnerable people and those over the age of 65 will continue to apply at least until the end of the first phase. The gradual lifting of the current restrictions also entails the need to develop, in consultation with the Ministry of Families, Integration and the Greater Region, a strategy for the protection of vulnerable people in care homes and people aged over 65.

Employees in the vulnerable group can consult their doctors to determine if the severity of the illness is preventing them from going to work. This examination must be done on a case-by-case basis, taking into account the recommendations of the Department of Health and also taking into account the work environment of the person concerned.

Prime Minister Bettel announced that the government has secured a stock of 7 million sanitary masks that will be distributed to all residents and people working in Luxembourg, in the coming weeks. He also confirmed that people could alternatively use a scarf to cover their nose and mouth.