Credit: MSAN

Luxembourg's Ministry of Health and the Luxembourg business union UEL have presented a preliminary report on the COVID-19 testing campaign accompanying the end of the collective leave period.

As part of Luxembourg's testing strategy, different key moments have been identified to control the spread of the virus in the population. The end of collective leave and the resumption of activities in certain sectors represent such a key moment. Consequently, the authorities carried out a screening programme for the construction and cleaning sectors on a total of 62,295 people between 17 August and 3 September 2020.

In total, 33,599 people (53.93% of the target population) were invited, in close collaboration with the UEL, the Fédération des artisans, FEDIL - the Voice of Luxembourg's Industry, the Chamber of Commerce and the Chamber of Trades, to get tested. In the end, 11,101 people were tested, which represents 17.8% of the sector.

During the same period, 4,324 tests were carried out for the same target population in the event of symptoms or via the MyGuichet.lu platform in the event of returning from travel abroad. The positivity rate for these tests was 2.26%.

Minister of Health Paulette Lenert explained: “The result of this campaign is reassuring. Nine people testing positive for COVID-19 out of 6,777 people tested represents a low infection rate of 0.13%. This rate is even lower than the rates identified during the prevalence studies carried out in April and May for the construction sector at the time of the recovery after confinement". She added: "It should be noted that these first stages of deconfinement did not generate an increase in infections".

For Tom Wirion, director general of the Chamber of Trades and member of the UEL Executive Committee, “companies and employees have understood the [government] messages well and have actively contributed to prevent the spread of the virus, even during the holidays. Some companies have even had all their employees tested after returning from collective leave”.

Tom Baumert, Entrepreneurship Director of the Chamber of Commerce, added that “these results are one of the good examples that companies have prepared well for the start of the school year to allow employees to work in a safe environment, but also to encourage consumers to support the economy”.