Lux vaccination hotline overwhelmed

During a press conference on Thursday morning health minister Paulette Lenert (LSAP) stated that the vaccination hotline was currently overwhelmed and facing major difficulties as the number of daily incoming calls was above 20,000 whereas the hotline’s capacity was at 3,000 calls a day. Lenert explained this by the age category primarily concerned by the ongoing phase two, namely those aged 75 and over, who are often lacking the digital skills and resources to book appointments online and thus rely on the vaccination hotline to do so. The problem should be resolved within the next 2-3 days Lenert said calling for patience and understanding. 

New law on organ donation 

The new law reinforcing an individual’s explicit will with regards to organ donation came into force on 7 March. The text states that “upon first access to the shared care record...the record holder will be required to indicate whether he or she objects to organ harvesting after death," thus underlining that explicit agreement or refusal must now be mentioned in the shared care file of the deceased. Up until this point and since 1982, Luxembourg legislation envisaged that an individual who has not explicitly declared otherwise is de facto considered to be an organ donor.  

Capital to give more space to pedestrians

Luxembourg City is set to expand its pedestrian areas, with works to begin this week. Rue du Fossé will offer more space for pedestrians and cyclists, who will be able to ride in both directions starting mid-April. In addition, Rue Beaumont will temporarily become a pedestrian street. Mayor Lydie Polfer on Wednesday also said the city would aim to maximise space for outdoor terraces.

IBM to cut 38 jobs 

Technology company IBM is planning on cutting 38 jobs at its Luxembourg office as a cost-cutting measure, the LCGB said on Wednesday. The union said the company had begun negotiations for a social plan to reduce its headcount. IBM employs 313 people in Luxembourg. The LCGB slammed the decision, saying the social plan wasn’t linked to covid-19 but simply a desire to improve the company’s net results.

France agrees to lift teleworking cap until end June

Luxembourg and France have agreed to lift a cap on the number of days cross-border commuters can work from home without facing double taxation until 30 June. Commuters from France are normally allowed to telework just 29 days per year. The cap was first lifted during lockdown in 2020. A deadline set for the end of March to resume the normal system has now been pushed back until the end of June.  

130 years of diplomatic relations with Russia

Luxembourg’s prime minister Xavier Bettel and Russian president Vladimir Putin on 9 March marked 130 years of diplomatic relations between both countries. “These historic ties, rich and profound, constitute a solid basis to build our future cooperation,” Bettel (DP) told Putin during a call. Bettel cited cooperation on climate change and green finance as ways for the countries to work together. Other possible fields of mutual interest are innovation, the digital economy and space resources, according to the Luxembourg premier.

Newsmakers podcast: Dredging the darknet

As the Luxembourg police force prepares to launch a specialised division to investigate darknet activities, Delano deep dives into this much-hyped side of the internet. Luxembourg-based privacy expert and trainer Chris Pinchen takes listeners on a quick of tour of what can be found there, including a few surprises. Listen here

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Today's noon briefing was written by Lynn Feith, Cordula Schnuer and Jess Bauldry.