Since 15 January, people who cannot work from home have to be vaccinated, recovered, or tested to go to work.
Pharmacies now play an important role when it comes to providing certified rapid tests. Some are already facing demands as high as prior to school holidays, while others remain less frequented.
People who want a QR code that is valid for 48 hours will have to do a PCR test at one of the country's centres. However, they are more expensive and waiting times for results are longer. Important to note that the 48-hour period starts from the moment that the test is made, not when the result is issued.
Laboratories are under pressure now that infection numbers are rising and more people need a test to go to work. "Laboratoires Réunis" have already recruited 50 new employees and intend to open another test centre in Bascharage.
Support from the Luxembourg Army
People who already received their first dose, but still wait for the second one, have the option to do 20 free tests at one of the five centres operated by the Luxembourg Army (Junglinster, Howald, Esch-sur-Alzette, Fridhaff, and Kirchberg).
David Wickler provided insight into the Army's operation: "We deployed 200 people to work at the five centres. These also include our civil employees and make up about 20% of our capacity. But it is worth the effort since we're helping the Luxembourgish population."
Important to note that people cannot show up announced, but have to take an appointment via MyGuichet beforehand. Furthermore, they have to print the confirmation code, stressed Wickler: "It has to be printed, and people also have to show their ID or passport."
People do the tests themselves while being supervised by a member of the Army. If the result is negative, the appointment document is certified and remains valid for 24 hours.
Demand is high: everyday, about 1,300 appointments are made across all centres, which hold a capacity of up to 56,000 tests per week. Officials therefore underline once more that this testing option can only be used to go to work, not to get access to leisure activities.
The centres are also open on weekends. The offer still stands until the end of February and can also be taken up by cross-border workers.
