"It is an extremely serious situation, but it is very difficult to explain. We don't have any explanations from the experts," said Marc Fischbach, president of COPAS, which brings together 54 aid and care service providers (CIPA, care homes, home care networks, etc.) in Luxembourg. COPAS represents almost 11,000 employees.
The recent clusters and the many deaths in numerous retirement homes are taking a toll on families and caused the Christian Social People's Party (CSV), the main opposition party, to react furiously on Thursday.
Fischbach stated that he was "working well" with Minister of Health Paulette Lenert and Minister for Family Affairs Corinne Cahen and pointed out that COPAS had specifically asked that "there should be no binding measures that would not be applicable in all homes" but rather recommendations to take account of the different residents and structures.
Regarding the CSV's reproaches against Cahen that she is "not the right woman for the situation", Fischbach replied that it makes "no sense" to reproach a single person, or politician, because "everyone is doing their best".
As for the more than 300 deaths already recorded, Fischbach pointed out that care homes house "the most vulnerable people in our society" who, because of their very advanced age, are exposed to "much higher risks than others". Each year "between 25 and 30% die because their life expectancy is less than three or four years".
Fischbach regrets all the more deeply the unexplained clusters as the management and staff are fully committed to the protection of the residents: He "just knows" that there is a great deal of mobilisation in these homes, Fischbach explained, and that there is "enormous disappointment and frustration" precisely for those who accompany these people when they are confronted with a setback.
Every day, care staff ask themselves how they can better protect the people they take care of, but in general, the behaviour of nursing home staff is "correct", assures the president of COPAS.
As for the government's vaccination strategy, Fischbach believes that from the outset, all staff could have been taken into account. Not only the hired staff, but also the subcontractors who enter these homes every day and who are in contact with the residents.
The CSV's idea of creating a "green card", a passport issued to people vaccinated against Covid-19, "is certainly a path to be explored" but personally, Fischbach is not in favour of compulsory vaccination.
COPAS "doesn't know" whether 51% of the nursing home staff is actually vaccinated. Fischbach stated that they receive data from the health authorities that they "cannot verify", but they know that many staff members have not received an invitation. It is therefore impossible for COPAS to know how many people have been vaccinated per home.
