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Day: 24 February 2020

Two suspected coronavirus cases in Monaco

by: Cassandra Tanti
24/02/2020

Tests will confirm today whether two people reportedly admitted to the Princess Grace Hospital on Monday are infected with the potentially deadly coronavirus.
Monaco Matin reported late Monday evening that the two female patients, one from Italy, were taken to the CHPG on Monday and tests were sent to Marseille.
The department of health is yet to confirm the suspected cases.
The French Riviera and Monaco have been mobilised to prepare for the arrival of the coronavirus following an outbreak in neighbouring Italy on the weekend. Two other suspected cases, involving residents from Beausoleil and Cap d’Ail, were cleared of the virus on Monday morning. One had just returned from Lombardy, the hotspot of the European outbreak.
Just minutes after the Prefecture of the Alpes-Maritimes, the Nice University Hospital and the Regional Health Agency enacted their health action plan for the region on Monday morning, tests showed that two suspected local cases of the coronavirus were negative. A third patient had been discharged Sunday evening.
It means that at the time of publication, there are no confirmed cases of coronavirus in the Alpes-Maritimes or Monaco.
On the other side of the border however, the situation is more concerning. Five people have died and close to 200 have been infected – by far the largest outbreak in Europe.

National Council calls for action plan

In a letter to the Minister of State, shared publicly by the Mairie of Monaco on Monday, National Council President Stéphane Valerie urged immediate action from the Prince’s Government.
“The situation linked to the development of the Coronavirus (Covid-19), especially in the nearby Italian regions, is likely to cause great concern among Monegasques and residents,” writes Mr Valeri. “This emotion is understandable. Our geographical proximity to Italy, but also the daily flows of Italian workers to the Principality, as well as the very international character of our residents who also make many journeys, raises fears of a marked increase in concern in the coming hours.”
Mr Valeri continued: “All preventative measures to participate in the containment of the spread of the virus must be taken amid a high level of detection and possible management with the mobilisation of all the necessary means, in particular the Princess Grace Hospital.”
The Monaco government issued a statement Monday afternoon, confirming that no cases of the virus had been detected in the Principality and that an emergency system was put in place at the Princess Grace Hospital Centre at the end of January. It also said that health authorities were monitoring the situation and that government authorities would continue to update the community on any developments.

Borders remain open

The Prefect of the Alpes-Maritimes, Bernard Gonzalez, says there is no plan to close the border between France and Italy “for now”.
“It doesn’t make much sense,” added Jérôme Salomon, France’s Director General of Health. “Not to mention that you can travel by land, sea and air, or go through Italy and Austria.”
However, there is the possibility that authorities will use thermal scanners at the border, like those already in use at Italy’s airports. Similar checks are being considered at train stations.

Carnivals to go ahead

An influx of visitors to the region for the Nice Carnival and the Menton Lemon Festival has raised the question of whether these large public gatherings should continue amid the outbreak in neighbouring Italy. At this stage, the prefecture says the events will not be cancelled.

Nice’s action plan

The CHU Nice will be one of 108 hospitals in France capable of detecting Covid-19, with an infectious disease specialist available 24 hours a day. Suspected patients will be taken to the Archet 2 hospital where samples will be taken and tested. A dedicated unit is being set up within the CHU to treat patients who test positive.
Health professionals and transport staff will also be briefed on how to monitor the situation daily and deal with a possible health crisis.
France’s Health Minister Olivier Véran said: “I have called the head of the University Hospital Institute of Infectious Diseases in Marseille, it is able to perform 1,000 tests per day in the area of Marseille alone. We are going to be able to amplify the screening to be able to answer all the requests at that scale across France.”

Northern Italy in quarantine

More than 50,000 people remain in lock down across 11 towns in Lombardy and Veneto, 370 kilometres north-east of Monaco. The famed Venice Carnival was cut short and some Milan Fashion Week runway shows were cancelled. Schools and sporting events have been cancelled, and people have been asked to avoid all private and public gatherings.
Italian authorities say there will be fines for anyone caught entering or leaving outbreak areas without special permission, but local television footage showed few roadblocks around the affected cities on Sunday. Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte said checkpoints would be reinforced and the army sent in if necessary.
When asked if France could also enforce a lockdown in the case of a mass outbreak, France’s Director of Health Jérôme Salomon said it was “not impossible” and provisions are already in place for such measures under France’s existing plans for pandemic flu.

Figures to date

France has had a total of 12 confirmed cases of coronavirus – one French healthworker, six people in Contamines-Montjoie and five people who had recently travelled from China. One of the patients, an 80-year-old Chinese tourist, died of the illness while the others all made a full recovery. All but one have now been released from hospital.
According to the World Health Organisation, more than 80% of patients infected with the virus have mild disease and recover, 14% have severe diseases such as pneumonia, and around 5% of cases are considered critical.

The rest of the world

The number of coronavirus cases are surging in Iran, where the confirmed death toll climbed to 12 on Monday – the highest number of fatalities for any country outside of China. South Korea has been placed on its highest alert level following a sharp jump in new cases. South Korea now has the most infections outside of China.
As of Monday evening, 2,629 people have died out of 79,744 coronavirus infections globally.
The World Health Organisation said Monday the outbreak remained an international emergency.
The UN agency declared the appearance of the new coronavirus a public health emergency of international concern on 30th January.

Symptoms

Anyone who believes they may have symptoms of the illness, which include cough, headache, fatigue, fever, aching and difficulty breathing, are asked to call an ambulance and tell the operator it is a suspected case of coronavirus.
France has set up a national coronavirus helpline: 0800 130 000.
 
 
 

The MEB’s mission to Novosibirsk

by: Cassandra Tanti
24/02/2020

The Monaco Economic Board has braved the cold to take its member companies to Novosibirsk, the heart of Russia’s ‘Silicon Valley’.
Taking advantage of a Monte-Carlo Ballets tour in the capital of Siberia, MEB teams specialising in sectors as varied as finance, high technology and business consultancy met their Siberian counterparts in a series of meetings from 18th to 21st February.

Economic presentation by MEB’s Chief Executive Officer Guillaume Rose during the Siberia – Monaco Forum. Photo: MEB

The first day of the trip was devoted to Akademgorodok, a city that has become the heart of Soviet and then Russian scientific research since the start of the Cold War, and which today has embraced start-ups. During a visit to the most awarded business incubator in Russia, AcademPark, the first links were formed with Russian high-tech start-ups which had not yet considered Monaco in their business plans.
Meanwhile, an Economic Forum dedicated to Monaco-Siberia exchanges, organised with the Novosibirsk Regional Chamber of Commerce and Industry, was held. During the forum, the economies of both regions were presented as well as the various activities of the MEB members, ahead of the signing of a formal long-term agreement between the two chambers of commerce.
Session of individual meetings between entrepreneurs. Photo: MEB

Finally, a performance by the Ballets de Monte-Carlo served as an opportunity for members to invite their professional contacts and strengthen relations, in “another demonstration of the perfect synergy between the main cultural and economic players in Monaco, especially when they are abroad,” according to the MEB.
 
Top photo: Signing of the memorandum of understanding between Chambers of Commerce, courtesy MEB
 
 
 

Two week free bus trial

by: Stephanie Horsman
24/02/2020

The National Council has been toying with the idea of free local bus service for months and has finally settled on a two week trial period in September to see how it would work.
The plan was initially proposed to encourage tourists and residents to take advantage of public transport as a method of reducing both air pollution and traffic congestion, particularly during the busy morning and evening rush hour periods.
Debates by the National Council were held last year to discuss Monaco’s 2020 budget. During these meetings, the council, in conjunction with the Compagnie des Autobus de Monaco (CAM), suggested that a test be carried out to monitor the impact and the popularity of free transit but was stuck on whether it should be gratis for all users or for residents only. Initially, the test was planned for only one line, Line #4, and was meant to last six months.
After further deliberation, the National Council and the Ministry of State both concluded this test would not be a true reflection of the population or of usage as it was limited in scale. It would also be difficult to assess the true results as all the lines are interconnected, therefore singling out a single line would probably not be effective.
As a result, the council suggested a network-wide trial, carried out from the 12th to the 27th of September during European Mobility Week. In order to streamline the system and optimise journey times, electronic meters are being proposed, which would track customers as they came on and off the buses without any interference by the drivers.
A massive awareness campaign is being suggested to remind people about the free test period during the entire two weeks, as well as the weeks leading up to it.
Officials state the cost of such trials would be nominal, as the duration is short. If free bus service is adopted, the National Council is suggesting that infrastructure be updated to accommodate heavier bus use. New bus lanes, priority traffic lights and increased services are amongst the things being recommended.
 
 

AS Monaco on a roll

by: Stephanie Horsman
24/02/2020

AS Monaco faced a tough Dijon team Saturday night, one who had not conceded a single home game in the last 10.
The Red and Whites showed up at Gaston-Gérard ready to rumble. The last time Monaco went up against Dijon, they played them at home and only just managed to squeak past them for the win with a goal by the currently-suspended Aleksandr Golovin.
Things didn’t begin well as Dijon’s Mounir Chouiar was carted off the field on a stretcher after a massive collision with Benoît Badiashile. About nine minutes in, Monaco launched their first offensive play as Wissam Ben Yedder took a free kick shot on goal but was thwarted. Dijon’s Julio Tavares, not to be outdone, then made two magnificent shots on goal 12 and 18 minutes in, but Lecomte was on it and didn’t let the ball pass.
Monaco, who ultimately had possession of the ball for nearly 60% of the game, played a bit of cat and mouse with Dijon for most of the first half. A Jovetic-Slimani combo was well-played but not enough to make it past Runarsson. It wasn’t until 38 minutes in that things heated up. Dijon’s Mavididi rammed into Lecomte, who scrambled and recovered the loose ball before any damage could be done. Soon after, Slimani, with an assist by Ben Yedder, almost made the grade, but again Runarsson was Johnny-on-the-spot and deflected the goal with his feet.
At halftime, both teams went into the locker rooms goalless.
After the break, things got a bit more interesting. Another Ben Yedder-Slimani set up almost resulted in a goal, but the ball went wide. Moments later, Dijon took advantage and Mama Baldé put one between the posts, opening the scoring for the match at 56 minutes in.
Undeterred, Monaco fought on, and yet again Slimani and Ben Yedder made a set-up, though sadly it wasn’t enough to get past Dijon’s ever-vigilant goalkeeper.
Finally, at 79 minutes in, Monaco seized their chance. Adrien Silva found Slimani, who made a terrific header toward the goal. Runarsson made the block, but the ball fell at the feet of Guillermo Maripan who deftly pushed it through the posts.
Despite it being late in the game, both teams came alive in these last minutes, the most exciting of which was at the 90 minute mark when Tavares had a one-on-one against Lecomte. The goalie made a fantastic save, saving his team from defeat and earning them the draw.
Coach Moreno was proud of his Red and Whites and said after the game: “The team is getting better defensively. We’ve only conceded two goals in four games. We have to work to have even more on executing our chances in front of goal, but I know my forwards have the ability to score.”
 
 

Out with the old, in with the new

by: Stephanie Horsman
24/02/2020

After a five-year test period, new ‘smart’ energy meters are being installed in homes throughout the Principality, helping to reduce power usage and cut bills.
The high-tech Nexio meter will be installed in tens of thousands of Monegasque homes over the next eighteen months. The new meters are the Société Monégasque de l’Electricité et du Gaz’s (SMEG) response to the country’s energy transition plans, offering several advanced functions not possible in the old-fashioned systems.
Nexio will be able to transmit data directly to the electric company without the need to disturb customers. They will also have the ability to send information at more regular intervals, allowing the company and households to catch discrepancies or unusual usage faster than was traditionally possible. It also allows customers to better monitor general usage and make adjustments when energy consumption is exceeding normal capacity, thus saving them money.
Every customer will have at their fingertips the personalised information needed to assess energy use. This information is meant to help them better understand, act and potentially reduce the amount of power consumed on a daily basis. Additionally, it is completely confidential between contract holders and SMEG, with encrypted and secure systems to ensure cyber-safety.
Replacing the meter will be easy for customers. In 90% of cases, SMEG will not even need the user to be present, and the change-over takes a mere half an hour with only a 15 minute interruption of service. The replacement is free of charge, and the old meters will be sent to a non-profit environmental association that recycles electrical and electronic equipment.
The Nexio meters have been operational at the Tour Odéon since 2015, where they were extensively tested before being launched into public use.