In a document (in French) which lays out the basis for the government’s decisions regarding the Covid-19 pandemic, experts assess the last two weeks of December from an epidemiological point of view. These last two weeks were marked by a significant decline in daily new infections, but also by a substantial decrease in testing.
The report assesses the situation at the end of 2020 as “fragile”. According to the European Commission, it takes up to 40 days from the day new restrictions enter into force until there is a tangible effect on the evolution of the pandemic.
The incidence of infections remains high – too high – and thus the note calls for a target of fewer than 150 new infections per day.
The positivity rate remains stable between 5% and 6%.
The internal document expresses concern regarding the situation in hospitals and reiterates that a rise in new infections could lead to a situation that would be unmanageable for healthcare professionals.
Staff shortages in healthcare also remain substantial, whether due to isolations, quarantines, holidays, sick leave, or even cases of burn-out.
According to the document, the number of deaths due to Covid-19 risks remaining high for the foreseeable future, even with decreasing infections. Luxembourg’s mortality rate is high even on an international scale, with 340 Covid-19 deaths in the last two months of 2020 alone.
In regard to the new Covid-19 strain first discovered in the UK, the document states that while there is reason to believe that it does indeed spread more quickly, it is not more pathogenic. Nevertheless, there is a risk that this new strain could lead to increased infections and hospitalisations.
The government’s experts thus conclude that the measures against Covid-19 should not be relaxed at this point in time.
