Some countries have imposed a mandatory quarantine of 14 days, or alternatively asked for a negative Covid-19 test not older than 48 hours before crossing the border. In the case of students, these measures could not have come at a more inconvenient time as many have to return to their universities to take exams during the summer months. This is why the Association of Luxembourg Student Unions (ACEL) tried to find a solution.
ACEL launched a website specifically for students in need of a negative test to return to their universities on time. The platform allows students to get access to a special voucher for a free test. Certain conditions must be fulfilled in order to be eligible: The applicant must be a student, the situation must require them to be physically present – e.g. to take a written or oral exam -, and their university's country must require a negative Covid-19 test upon entry.
ACEL's president, Sven Bettendorf, explained on RTL Radio that students studying in Germany are currently amongst those experiencing the most issues. There are approximately 4,500 Luxembourgish students studying in Germany which would mean 4,500 additional tests if all would require one.
He added that there were also students who needed to commute, e.g. because they already accepted a job offer in Luxembourg, or those in distance learning curriculums. Bettendorf stated that this is why ACEL has decided to make a total of 4,500 tests available to students until the end of August.
Applicants who fulfil the criteria and have submitted their application will then receive a code from ACEL via e-mail. This code can then be used to schedule an appointment via a link on the association's website. Two documents are mandatory when submitting an application: An enrolment certificate and a registration for an exam or proof of a university event which requires physical presence. Processing the application will take about three days. At the moment, vouchers can be requested until the end of August. It is still unclear what will happen once the winter semester starts.
Bettendorf stated that the first universities will start the new academic year in September. According to the ACEL president, students will most likely continue to face the same issues and will require tests for a prolonged period of time, at least as long as Luxembourg is still considered an "at-risk country". He stressed that ACEL will continue to stay in touch with the Ministry of Health in order to keep the platform available, if needed.
Prerequisites for testing might change according to the current situation. In order to inform students as best and as early as possible, ACEL is mainly basing itself on feedback from the students themselves which is why Bettendorf also reminded students to reach out to the association if they have any questions or uncertainties.
