(Above) Contact Tracing team; (below) Gilles Feith, CEO of Luxair, and Paulette Lenert, Luxembourg's Minister of Health;
Credit: MSAN
Faced with the sharp rise in new COVID-19 infections, Luxembourg's Contact Tracing and Health Helpline teams have been strengthened in recent weeks, now counting 220 people including 68 from the Luxair group.
In light of this staff reinforcement, the respective services of the Health Inspectorate temporarily relocated to one of the old Ferrero buildings in Findel at the end of October. During a site visit, Luxembourg's Minister of Health, Paulette Lenert, and Luxair CEO Gilles Feith exhanged with the teams on their experiences in different positions, ranging from calls within the framework of contact tracing and the Hotline to logistics support and secretarial work.
Gilles Feith commented: “The reinforcement provided by Luxair staff to the Health Inspection teams - put to the test in recent weeks and [...] months - enables Luxair to do its part to limit the economic impact of this crisis. Travelling is still possible; Luxair does everything to allow our customers to travel in complete safety. It is a 'win-win' solution, which I [...] fully support".
After an intense initial training period, the new recruits have adapted well to their new responsibilities, meaning that the delays incurred in the last weeks are expected to be made up for in a short amount of time.
The Health Minister explained: “Rapid tracing of cases, information and support for those affected, as well as the solidarity of all of us, are essential elements in the fight against the spread of the virus. It's a job that requires a lot of empathy and a good instinct and I thank everyone for their tireless commitment".
For the week of 2 to 8 November 2020, nearly 12,600 close contact cases were identified for more than 4,100 people who tested positive for COVID-19.
Minister Paulette Lenert once again appealed to the public to participate in the strategic large-scale testing scheme, which is a complementary pillar to tracing. Through large-scale tesing, all Luxembourg households will be invited gradually to get tested, with the aim of obtaining a better understanding of the spread of the virus among the population. Participating in the scheme therefore allows everyone to participate in the effort to detect positive cases and break chains of infection.
