Initially planned for 19 May when the government had previously said 17 testing stations would be opened capable of testing up to 20,000 people per day.
However, during parliamentary discussions on Tuesday, health minister Paulette Lenert (LSAP) said that while the ambition to test the population remained valid, the logistics were not yet in place.
A statement issued later by the Research Luxembourg Task Force said the short period made it a "logistically and technically complex undertaking."
Since these tests are now being carried out in other countries, this "influences the availability of material on the global market," it said.
While it said that tests will begin on 18 May, at the start they will not be on the same scale as originally announced. It said: "In parallel, preparations are being made for the gradual build-up of full capacity, to be reached from the week of 1 June." Further announcements are expected during the week starting 18 May.
Also on Tuesday, Lenert explained that different tests are being carried out for different projects. In addition to the testing people with symptoms to manage the treatment of patients and curb the virus’ spread, tests were also being organised in clusters to accompany the easing of lockdown on the general population. Screening of care home patients and staff fall under the latter, for instance.
The nationwide testing is part of a “very ambitious” Luxembourg Institute of Health project. Delano contacted LIH for further explanations but they institute had not responded at the time of writing.