The small European country of Luxembourg has set the ambitious goal of testing its entire population for COVID-19, including residents and front liners in one month, starting the 19th of May. 

With a population of 600,000, slightly larger than Malta’s, Luxembourg’s health authorities say testing on this scale is essential to begin the process of easing lockdown measures.

20,000 tests per day will be conducted from May 19th onwards from 17 stations across Luxembourg. The state has acquired 600,000 tests for 40 million euros to complete this feat.

“We are already conducting around 1,000 tests per day, Luxembourg’s Health Minister Paulette Lenert said. “But we now have the resources (tests, personnel and protective equipment) to also carry out proactive testing with people who are in contact with infections patients, as well as asymptomatic people.”

Lenert adds that the government strategy also involves the systematic testing of residents of nursing homes, since last week. Two nursing homes are tested per day she says.

Meanwhile, Malta has conducted over 30,000 swab tests since the first positive case of COVID-19 was found in March, totalling at around 6% of its population of 500,000.

However, Maltese Health authorities have recently widened the scope of testing and while it still remains voluntary, those who don’t experience symptoms can also get tested.

Just today, 1,000 tests were carried out.

Ħal Far Open Centre – referred to as Malta’s hotspot for the outbreak of the virus – has also increased testing to around 100 a day.

Luxembourg hopes that the scaling up of testing will contribute to the mitigation of a second wave of COIVD-19 cases following the easing of restrictions.

“Like this, we can see if deconfinement works,” says Ulf Nehrbass who is leading Luxembourg’s COVID-19 Research task force. “If there is new avalanche of infections, we will be able to detect it. It is a question of breaking the momentous spread of the virus, in order to avoid a second wave of contaminations.”

It seems their national strategy involves testing samples of groups in society before the staggered re-opening of various sectors of the economy. Construction workers were tested before the resumption of construction on April 20th.

Some 7,500 students, who are set to resume classes next Monday,  will also be tested before school begins in Luxembourg.

Do you think Malta could match Luxembourg’s efforts?