On Friday 11 February 2022, the Chamber of Deputies (Luxembourg's Parliament) adopted the new provisions modifying the COVID-19 law.

The new law passed with 31 votes in favour and 29 against. The provisions linked to the lifting of the curfew for catering and drinking establishments was submitted to a separate vote and passed with 60 votes in favour.

The new COVID-19 rules are as follows:

- The CovidCheck 2G+ (vaccinated or recovered plus a negative test) regime has been replaced by the CovidCheck 3G (vaccinated, recovered or tested negative) regime.

Access to demonstrations, events, gatherings and establishments is therefore reserved for people who have been fully vaccinated (with a vaccination certificate no older than 270 days, i.e. nine months), those who have also received a booster dose (no limit of validity), those who have recovered from COVID-19 (with a recovery certificate no older than 180 days, i.e. six months) and people who are neither vaccinated nor recovered, or who have received a first vaccine dose, in possession of a valid negative PCR or certified rapid antigen test result.

Exempt from these rules are people with a certificate of contraindication to vaccination. In this case, access to events and establishments is subject to the presentation of either a negative rapid antigen test result carried out on site or a valid certificate for a certified negative PCR or rapid antigen test result. Children under the age of twelve years and two months are also exempt.

The new law thus provides for a generalised CovidCheck 3G regime, except in hospitals and healthcare structures, where the 3G+ regime remains in place for visitors (rapid antigen test to be carried out on site).

- The CovidCheck 3G regime, which has been mandatory in the workplace since December 2021, is now optional again. If a company chooses not to follow this regime, it must apply the rules relating to meetings and gatherings, i.e. wearing a mask and respecting distancing, as soon as the number of employees simultaneously in the same place exceeds ten.

In this context, the trade unions and the government signed on Friday an interprofessional agreement, prescribing that the application of the optional 3G regime in the workplace can only be done subject to the written agreement of the company's staff delegation. A maximum transitional period of fourteen days, during which the 3G regime in place will continue to apply, may be put in place from the entry into force of the new COVID-19 law in order to allow a new decision to be taken in agreement with the staff delegation.

- The curfew for restaurants, cafes and bars, set at 23:00, has been lifted. The new law restores the normal closing hours of the hospitality sector.

- The number of people authorised to attend public gatherings has been revised upwards. Gatherings and events that take place at home are not subject to any conditions.

For public gatherings of up to ten people, there are no restrictions or health measures to follow. If a gathering bringing together between eleven and 50 people (inclusive) is not organised under the CovidCheck regime, the double condition of wearing a mask and keeping a minimum distance of two metres applies. If a gathering bringing together between 51 and 200 people (inclusive) is not organised under the CovidCheck regime, the triple condition of wearing a mask, being seated and keeping a minimum distance of two metres is imposed.

Gatherings bringing together between 201 and 2,000 people are in principle subject to the CovidCheck regime; otherwise, they are subject to the triple condition imposing the wearing of a mask, the designation of a seat and the maintenance of a minimum distance of two metres.

Gatherings of more than 2,000 people are authorised provided that they are subject to a health protocol to be accepted in advance by the Directorate of Health.

The provisions concerning sports and cultural activities have been adapted in order to take into account the reintroduction of the 3G regime. This regime is valid from the moment the number of the group exceeds ten people. This also applies to extracurricular activities involving more than ten people.

- For all minor children until the age of fifteen, parental consent for vaccination from a single parental authority is sufficient. From sixteen years, minors still do not need parental consent to be vaccinated against COVID-19.

- Concerning quarantine and isolation changes, quarantine related to contact cases will be removed. The ten-day isolation period can be shortened if the infected individual returns two negative rapid antigen test results 24 hours apart. This applies to anyone, regardless of vaccine status.

These new COVID-19 measures come into force from 11 February and will remain applicable until 30 April 2022 inclusive.