Testing carried out by European banks has shown there is a very low risk of contamination by banknotes.

Since the coronavirus outbreak, online shopping and contactless payments have seen an increase in popularity as the public seek to stay safe.

However, the Central Bank of Luxembourg has issued a reassuring statement - banknotes are unlikely to be contaminated with the virus. In a press release issued on Tuesday, the BCL indicated that tests are being carried out on banknotes by the Eurosystem (which brings together the European Central Bank and the national central banks).

To date, there is no evidence that the virus can spread via banknotes, as confirmed by the Robert Koch Institute in Germany.

Although the virus could survive a limited time on banknotes thanks to the deposit of fine respiratory droplets, the probability of being contaminated through this method is much lower than that of being contaminated by other surfaces, such as door handles, light switches or baskets in the supermarket.

To protect yourself, it is therefore important to respect conventional hygiene measures.

The Eurosystem will continue to closely monitor the circulation of banknotes, while no unusual developments have been reported, according to the BCL.