351 New COVID-19 Cases Identified in Luxembourg Schools Last Week

Luxembourg's Ministry of Education, Children and Youth has published an overview of the COVID-19 situation in Luxembourg schools for the week of 22 to 28 February 2021.

The figures for students and teachers who tested positive for COVID-19 relate to all public and private primary and secondary schools and skills centres located in Luxembourg.

During the week of 22 to 28 February, a total of 351 new cases were identified, including:

- 343 positive cases corresponding to scenario 1 in 96 primary schools, 55 secondary schools and two skills centres (scenario 1: a pupil or teacher infected outside the school without the virus having spread at school);

- 8 positive cases corresponding to scenario 2 in four primary schools and two secondary schools (scenario 2: maximum of two positive cases in a class with an uncertain source of infection or probably outside the class).

There were zero cases corresponding to scenario 3 (i.e. three to five positive cases in a class) or scenario 4 (i.e. chain of infection within a school; several classes concerned or a class with more than five cases).

After the return to distance learning and the half-term break between 8 and 21 February 2021, mobile teams carried out testing in the schools most affected by the spread of the virus before this period.

Results

- In Schifflange, where primary schools continued with distance learning until Tuesday 23 February 2021: four out of 441 tests carried out in Albert Wingert primary school came back positive; nine out of 297 tests in Nelly Stein primary school came back positive; six out of 343 tests in Lydie Schmit primary school came back positive

- At Niederanven primary school, three out of 426 tests came back positive

- At Contern primary school, four out of 296 tests were positive

- At Gasperich primary school, five out of 359 tests were positive

According to the Education Ministry, these results did not lead to new quarantines; the positive cases identified were not likely to have contaminated others, due to the suspension of school and educational activities between 8 and 21 February (23 February for Schifflange schools).