"Close contact" is defined as contact for more than 15 minutes without wearing a mask and when the two-metre distance is not respected, such as during a meal Shutterstock

"Close contact" is defined as contact for more than 15 minutes without wearing a mask and when the two-metre distance is not respected, such as during a meal Shutterstock

What should I do if I have been in contact with someone who has tested positive for Covid-19?

This question is even more important during holiday periods, when travel and social contacts increase.

First of all, a distinction must be made between close and direct contact and occasional contact. Close contact is contact for more than 15 minutes, without wearing the mask and when the distance of two metres has not been respected. Otherwise, it is occasional contact.

A person who tests positive in Luxembourg is contacted by the health inspectorate and asked to provide a list of close contacts over the previous days. The health inspectorate will then contact these people, who are invited to quarantine themselves for seven days and to be tested after the fifth day following contact with the person tested positive.

If the test is negative, the quarantine ends after the seventh day. It is then necessary to start self-monitoring, i.e. to scrupulously respect distancing and hygiene measures, to show particular attention to the occurrence of possible symptoms and to take one's temperature daily. If the test is positive, the infected person should then be placed in isolation for at least 14 days.

But what if I find out that I have been in close contact with a person who has tested positive and I have already gone on holiday abroad?

According to the health ministry, it is recommended to follow the health rules outlined above, but these become recommendations. Because if you are abroad, the regulations and laws of the country where you are located apply. It is therefore advisable to find out. The Re-open EU website compiles information on this subject for the member countries of the European Union.

When returning to Luxembourg, if in doubt, do not hesitate to go and get tested, the ministry recommends. A screening station has been set up at Findel airport, and another should open at the central railway station. If not, a prescription from your doctor will allow you to take the test free of charge.

This article was originally published on Paperjam.lu