Of that number, 60 were issued to shops, cafés and construction sites and because of private parties or gatherings involving people not from the same household.

The fines are part of a raft of measures introduced in Luxembourg to combat the spread of covid-19, which at the time of writing had killed 88 people in Luxembourg. They range from €145 for individuals and €4,000 for businesses and can be doubled for repeat offences.

Police conducted 5,000 checks from 18 March to 20 April, equivalent to 140 per day. Starting 27 April, police are expected to use fines to enforce the wearing of masks or mouth protection on public transport and in shops and anywhere people cannot remain two metres away from another person not from their household. The new rule was introduced on 20 April, but during the first week police focused on raising awareness among the population.