The Luxembourg government has set up a hotline for anyone who feels they may be displaying symptoms of the Coronavirus and who has travelled to or come into contact with people who have been to any of the outbreak’s hotspots – these include mainland China, Hong Kong, Macao, Singapore, Japan, South Korea, Iran, and northern Italy, specifically the regions of (Lombardy, Veneto, Emilie-Romagna and Piedmont.

The 8002-8080 number will operate as of 2pm on Monday 2 March. The government has also also set up an FAQ site, which is also available in English here.

The move follows confirmation that a patient isolated in hospital has been confirmed to have contracted the virus. Health minister Paulette Lenert announced the news on Saturday evening and reiterated advice not to panic. The patient had returned to Luxembourg from northern Italy via Charleroi airport. After developing symptoms, he contacted health authorities and was placed in an isolation unit at the CHL while undergoing diagnosis. The initial test proved positive on Saturday and was confirmed by a lab in Rotterdam on Sunday. The man is reportedly in good health and no longer showing symptoms of the virus.

The authorities also managed to contact people who had been in contact with the infected patient and the health ministry says quarantine measures have been taken for those who had direct contact with him. So far none of these people have displayed symptoms of Coronavirus and initial tests on them have proven negative.

Meanwhile, prime minister Xavier Bettel has convened a “pandemic” crisis unit. But the authorities are currently not recommending cancelling events or gatherings, unless they attract a large number of people from risk regions. The health ministry says risk to the general population remains low, but the crisis unit notes that it is still possible for other cases to occur in Luxembourg. Measures are in place to limit and mitigate the spread of the virus among the population.