Luxembourg was placed in the orange category by the federal authorities on Sunday.

Several countries have colour coded travel destinations so that Belgians going to or returning from these countries know what coronavirus recommendations to follow.

As a reminder, green means travel is possible. Orange indicates that travel is possible but subject to quarantine or a coronavirus test. Red stipulates that travel is not permitted for the time being.

This Sunday, the list of green, orange and red zones was updated by the federal authorities. Luxembourg was placed in the orange category.

Cross-border workers impacted

This is an important development for thousands of cross-border workers. It is estimated that 40,000 Belgians travel to Luxembourg every day. "Luxembourg is a very special situation with regards to cross-border workers. We simply have a lot from our three neighbouring countries," said Minister of Health Paulette Lenert on Friday. "And these cross-border workers represent 10% of positive cases."

The placement in the orange category can be explained by the latest statistics - click here for Sunday's figures. More cases were reported in Luxembourg over the past seven days than in the last month. Private gatherings are now singled out.

Given the situation, the authorities fear a second wave. Lenert warned that we cannot deny the fact infections are on the rise, adding: "But we also notice that we are becoming a victim of the success of the very ambitious testing strategy."

Some European countries such as Denmark and Finland had already placed the Grand Duchy on the list of blacklisted countries to avoid this summer.

So what now?

For the moment, people who return from an orange zone have no specific procedure to follow. On the other hand, with regards to the red zones (Finland, Ireland, Malta, Norway, Lisbon and the two Spanish regions Galicia and Lleida), specific procedures must be applied.

These travellers must fill out a document on the plane, provided to them by the airline at time of landing. The paper allows for tracing of passengers should one test positive. Everyone then has their temperature checked with thermal cameras installed at Findel airport.

For a reminder on governmental coronavirus advice head here.