Deputy Prime Minister François Bausch held a press conference to shed light on the restrictive precautionary measures that the government took.

Safety measures to "save human lives" rather than collect fines

Luxembourg has not yet adopted a complete shutdown. Bausch explained that the goal of the increased police presence (1,500 officers) on Luxembourg's streets is to encourage people from respecting the safety measures that the government implement as part of the national emergency.

Bausch provided a bit of additional clarification on what is and is not allowed in terms of leaving the home. As one example, he said that employees can still go to work if teleworking is not possible. The public can also still head to supermarkets, pharmacies, and other establishments that provide essential services and are not affected by the ban.

But beyond that, there is no restriction on going outside to catch fresh air, or go for a walk. What is not allowed is to do so in groups - it's OK to go for a walk with your kids, for instance, but you shouldn't arrange group activities or gather with others at e.g. playgrounds.

Prosecutor general Martine Solovieff explained that there will be €145 fines if individual do not respect measures. This will be doubled it the fine is not paid. The courts will make examples of those who ignore the measures, she stressed.

In terms of bars and restaurants that remain open despite the ban, as mentioned earlier in the ticker, fines of €4000 will be leveraged.

The courts will make an example of those who do not respect the precautionary measures, Solovieff explained.

Commercial passenger flights suspended as of Monday

All commercial passenger flights are suspended as of Monday. Officials are, however, coordinating efforts with Luxair to repatriate residents that are still abroad. Residents that are seeking to come back to Luxembourg are encouraged to contact the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. If they have the option to stay abroad comfortably, it might be more sensible to avoid travel altogether, Bausch explained.

Cargolux of course still has many flights to bring supplies to Luxembourg. Air-rescue will of course also continue to be operational.

Public transport reduced

There will be 40% fewer train services running. Bausch also noted that trams and buses are also reduced. More information on the mobiliteit website. As the crisis unfolds, the demand for public transport has been low.

Army assumes crucial duties

Bausch noted that the army is important not least in terms of providing logistics support, as have seen for instance in Ettelbruck already. Moving forward they will be important in terms of helping with organisation, guarding supplies.