Luxembourg’s Prime Minister Xavier Bettel announced that the country is triggering Article 32.4 to declare a state of emergency.
The state of emergency, which can last for up to three months, still needs to be approved by the Chamber of Deputies.
The Prime Minister’s message was clear: stay at home and avoid social contact. He advised against meeting up with friends for walks or picnics as the weather improves. Failure to comply with certain measures can carry fines or imprisonment.
In general, all social contact is to be avoided. Exceptions to this rule would apply to professional commitments, urgent medical appointments, grocery shopping and other such needs.
All construction sites are to close with immediate effect until further notice, while playgrounds across the country are also shut. Economic activity is expected to continue and the government will support businesses in need. Bettel underlined Luxembourg’s strong economy and public finances in this context.
Bettel reiterated that the government’s priority is to reduce the spread of the virus, and once again called for citizens to work together to prevent the situation from deteriorating. The state of emergency is currently set at three months in order to protect the most vulnerable members of the population.
The Prime Minister addressed MPs in Tuesday’s unusual parliamentary session, in which attendees were split across two rooms and with two seats inbetween them to allow sufficient distance.
