PM Xavier Bettel;
Credit: SIP / Anthony Dehez
On Friday afternoon, Luxembourg’s Prime Minister Xavier Bettel held a press briefing on the current coronavirus situation following the Cabinet meeting held earlier today.
Prime Minister Xavier Bettel began by affirming that there are currently 484 confirmed cases of coronavirus in Luxembourg. Of those infected, sixteen have been hospitalised after having tested positive and three are in intensive care. A further 21 have been hospitalised, although their test results are not yet available. Xavier Bettel later confirmed that a fifth person had passed away from coronavirus.
Luxembourg's Prime Minister then recalled the restrictions of movement and exceptions. He again stressed the importance of staying at home, unless it is necessary to leave the house for work, to attend an urgent medical appointment or to buy the essentials from supermarkets and pharmacies. He also clarified that the public can still go outside to get some fresh air and that pet owners can walk their dog or feed their horses, for example, although they should do so alone or with a small group of people from their household. Xavier Bettel also recalled that permission to go outside did not extend to car excursions or day trips to popular outdoor spots. He reiterated the importance of maintaining a safe distance (at least 2 metres) from other people when going outdoors for any reason.
While recognising the difficulty of the current situation and restrictions, Prime Minister Xavier Bettel stressed that everyone must respect the rules to help protect those around us, especially vulnerable people. Regarding non-compliance, he confirmed that one company and one cafe had been verbally sanctioned yesterday, although the police had not yet issued any fines to individuals. He added that lorries would continue to circulate as normal to maintain the flow of goods.
Concerning Luxembourg's borders, Xavier Bettel confirmed that the situation was currently stable and that the national authorities were in continued dialogue and monitoring the situation with their colleagues in France, Belgium and Germany. The Prime Minister also confirmed that 2,000 rooms in hotels or private accommodation had been made available to cross-border workers wishing to stay in Luxembourg during the crisis; 150 such workers have taken up this offer to date.
In addition, the online store for vulnerable people (corona.letzshop.lu) has been functioning well since its launch yesterday. 60 orders were made via telepone and a further 350 orders were made online. Xavier Bettel expressed gratitude for the public's understanding that this platform is dedicated exclusively to vulnerable people and for not "bombarding" the site.
Prime Minister Xavier Bettel went on to discuss the construction of a temporary hospital at the Centre Hospitalier de Luxembourg (CHL), which is being brought over from Bari in Italy to Luxembourg by Cargolux. The materials were secured thanks to the NATO Support and Procurement Agency (NSPA). Xavier Bettel confirmed that the aim of this provisional infrastructure was preventative, i.e. to increase the number of beds to accommodate rising cases in the coming weeks.
In a separate communication, Cargolux confirmed that it is currently transporting relief material from a NATO base in Taranto to Luxembourg on behalf of the Luxembourg government. A total of six charter flights were operated from Bari to Luxembourg. The shipment comprising 56 containers will serve to provide additional medical capacity to cope with the growing number of coronavirus patients in the Grand Duchy.
To conclude, the Prime Minister once again recognised the difficulty of this crisis situation, adding that it was unprecedented in Luxembourg. Nevertheless, he stressed the importance of "respect, tolerance, acceptance and discipline" from everyone if we are to manage and overcome this crisis. Following news of the fifth confirmed death in Luxembourg, he recalled that "the situation is serious" and that we are all a "part of the solution". On the other hand, those who do not follow the rules and make others sick will be a "part of the problem".
