Changes Announced to Contact Tracing Operation

On Friday 31 December 2021, Luxembourg's Ministry of Health announced changes to the way that Contact Tracing operates in the Grand Duchy in respect of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Given the strong growth in new COVID-19 infections, the Health Inspectorate's Contact Tracing unit has adapted its mode of operation in order to increase its responsiveness in contact tracing. This change to Contract Tracing is now operational.

If you test positive for COVID-19: self-isolate! Notify the people you have been in close contact with in the past two days and prepare a list with their names, telephone numbers and email addresses.

(a) You should also take an antigen / self-test and declare your result online at https://covidtracing.public.lu/. If the result of the antigen test is positive, you should immediately have a PCR test undertaken: the order (prescription) for the PCR test will be emailed to you within hours of reporting the (positive) antigen test result online.

If your positive result is confirmed by the PCR test, you can either self-report it on the same site or you can wait for Contact Tracing to call you. 

Note: if you cannot self-report (antigen self-test), you will need to perform a PCR test or a certified antigen test as soon as possible, or contact your doctor.

(b) Alternatively, you could take a PCR test / a certified antigen test. When you receive a Contact Tracing reference number by SMS, identify yourself with the link provided (https://covidtracing.public.lu/), and declare all your close contacts with their telephone numbers, e-mail addresses or postal addresses, your last day at work / school / otherwise, as well as the date of onset of your symptoms (be precise and complete in your information, otherwise your declaration cannot be validated and you will have to wait for the call from Contact Tracing). As soon as Contact Tracing has validated your declaration (within 24 or 48 hours), your isolation order will be sent to you by e-mail (check your spam emails regularly).

If it is not possible for you to make a self-declaration (PCR test / certified antigen test), you will be contacted by Contact Tracing as soon as possible, normally within 48 hours after the result of your test. If you do not have a computer, please wait for a telephone call.

If you were in high-risk contact with someone who tested positive for COVID-19 (i.e. if you have either declared yourself as a close contact or if someone else has declared you as a close contact), you will now no longer be called by telephone by the Contact Tracing team. On the other hand, if your e-mail address is entered (in the system), you will receive a prescription by e-mail to perform a PCR test 6 days after the last contact with the positive person. If you are neither vaccinated nor recovered, you will also receive a quarantine order (this can be ended on the 7th day, provided that a PCR test has been carried out on the 6th day after the last contact, and this test is negative). For 7 days after quarantine ends, you are asked to consider self-monitoring and wear a mask when in contact with other people.

If symptoms should appear during your period of quarantine or even after a negative test, you should immediately take a test and go into self-isolation without delay. 

Further reduce your social contacts, respect barrier gestures and, if possible, work from home until your PCR test results negative.

If the result is positive, please follow the above procedure.

For further information, see www.covid19.lu, including regarding the organisation of your self-isolation and self-quarantine.