Luxembourg health minister Paulette Lenert is pictured in this archive photo Romain Gamba/Maison Moderne

Luxembourg health minister Paulette Lenert is pictured in this archive photo Romain Gamba/Maison Moderne

Paulette Lenert (LSAP) said on Friday that the plan focuses on three axes of primary care, including teleconsultations with GPs and specialists, consultation centres for suspected covid-19 patients and advanced care centres. The latter was a central pillar of the country’s health system during the first wave of the virus, which began in March. A first covid consultation centre to receive patients with suspected signs of infection, will open shortly in Kirchberg at the former national library.

A specialist care branch will also be established for people in precarious situations.

Luxembourg has offered free, voluntary testing for several months. A second testing phase focused on strategic monitoring and identification of local outbreaks will begin in September and run until the first quarter of 2021. As thousands of residents travel for holidays during the summer months, targeted and reactive screening will continue in Luxembourg in collaboration with the Luxembourg Institute for Health.  

It will focus on the following:

Household screening: In view of the fact that the new cases identified recently are primarily the result of intra-family infections, households will be invited for large-scale testing according to a well-defined grid pattern depending on the location of the infections.

Sectoral screening: Invitations will continue to be extended to people at higher risk of infection, such as health and care personnel.

Travel: The testing scheme will also place special emphasis on travel. For example, people who have to or wish to travel to a country where they have to have a negative test will have the possibility of being tested free of charge via a procedure on MyGuichet.lu.

People returning from their journey by plane will be able to take advantage of a free test offer on their arrival at Luxembourg airport. Those returning from their journey by other means of transport will be able, from 17 August, to make an appointment for a free test on their return via MyGuichet.lu.

Group leave: In collaboration with the UEL, the Chamber of Trades and Crafts and the Federation of Craftsmen, the Ministry of Health has also envisaged a representative screening campaign in companies in certain sectors on return from so-called congé collectif. The approach chosen will provide a representative overview of potential sources of infection in enterprises.

Back to school campaign: To ensure a smooth return to school, pupils and staff in primary and secondary education will receive invitations to be tested at the beginning of September.

Anyone displaying symptoms of Covid-19 will still be able to get a PCR test prescribed by a doctor.