During the first lockdown in March, Luxembourg had chosen to close down shops by category rather than limiting what goods they could sell. This had disgruntled smaller and independent shops who lost out while big supermarkets sold their full range of wares.

In a change of approach, measures to be voted into law this week by parliament foresee that all shops must stop selling non-essential goods.

Considered essential are:

• all groceries/foodstuffs,
• medicines and health products,
• hygiene and cleaning products, sanitary equipment
• optical goods,
• medical, orthopaedic and speech therapy products,
• animal feed,
• books, newspapers and stationery,
• household and kitchen utensils,
• fuel and combustibles,
• tobacco and electronic cigarette products
• telecommunications material.

As a result, supermarket chains won’t be able to sell anything outside this range of goods, such as toys. Bookshops, on the other hand, will be able to stay open. Home delivery will remain allowed for all goods as well as click and collect, as long as customers pick up their order outdoors.

Lawmakers met on Tuesday to discuss the new measures announced by the government on 21 December. Although details of the law could still change, it is likely that the bulk of the restrictions will come into force on 26 December.

These also include a curfew from 9pm to 6am, a ban on organised sports activities and closure of outdoor sports infrastructures, and the closure of hair dressers and barbers, beauty and tanning salons and tattoo and piercing studios. Medical pedicures remain allowed. Also closed will be museums and libraries.