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Day: 15 April 2020

Cannes Film Festival still on the cards for 2020

by: Cassandra Tanti
15/04/2020

Organisers of the Cannes Film Festival – a major tourist drawcard for Monaco – say they will be looking at new ways to host the event in light of France’s ban on festivals until mid-July.
Due to the Covid-19 crisis, the Cannes Film Festival had already been postponed from its original mid-May dates to late June and early July.
However, organisers said this week that this was “no longer an option” after President Emmanuel Macron announced on Monday that festivals could not resume until mid-July at the earliest.
“It is clearly difficult to assume that the Festival de Cannes could be held this year in its original form,” the organisers said in a statement, adding they were exploring “all contingencies” to realise Cannes 2020 “in one way or another”.
The virus outbreak has ravaged Monaco’s glittering spring and summer cultural calender, with organisers cancelling the Monaco Grand Prix and the Monte-Carlo Television Festival.
However, Cannes has so far resisted cancelling this year’s festival completely. Organisers say that discussions have already started with industry participants over what form Cannes 2020 could take.
“They agree that the Festival de Cannes, an essential pillar for the film industry, must explore all contingencies to support the year of cinema by making Cannes 2020 real, in one way or another,” the organisers said. “Each and everyone knows that many uncertainties are still reigning over the international health situation. We hope to be able to communicate promptly regarding the shapes that this Cannes 2020 will take.”
The festival was due to announce its line-up this week, with film director Spike Lee set to head the jury, the first person of black African heritage to do so.
 

Tourism taking a major hit

by: Stephanie Horsman
15/04/2020

The fallout from the Covid-19 crisis on tourism in Monaco and the French Riviera could potentially be devastating to the local economies.

Since the middle of March when confinement measures were first implemented in Monaco and France, concerns regarding the effect on tourism and tourist-generated incomes have been a hot topic of conversation. Representing 15% of the economies of the Principality and Alpes-Maritimes, the tourism sector is a powerhouse, employing roughly 75,000 people directly, and another 75,000 peripherally in the area.

As the coronavirus spread and government-imposed measures to contain it were put into effect, leisure and business tourism came to a grinding halt. Between Monaco and the Alpes-Maritimes, 620 hotels, 87 resident hotels and 5,900 restaurants have been forced to shutter their doors while innumerable tourist-reliant leisure activity businesses are in a holding pattern waiting for the nightmare to end.

The Principality and it’s French neighbour welcome 11 million tourists every year equalling 70 million overnight stays. More than half these visitors are foreign clients and 16% are travelling to the region for business.

Summer is the peak time, and the region sees no less than 200,000 visitors on a daily basis, with the peak hitting an astounding 650,000 on 15th August weekend.

This translates to a lot of money being lost each day that local businesses remain closed. In a normal year, tourists account for €6 billion in direct revenue, generating €10 billion in turnover for tourism companies. March usually makes up 6.5% of the number of annual tourists, April 8% and May 8.8%. 

This means that even if lockdown measures are completely lifted in May, and that is a huge IF, tourism in 2020 will already be down 15%. June to September account for half the year’s tourists. If borders are not reopened and if travellers are reluctant or financially unable to travel, this means the region could be seriously hit in the pocketbook.

Already, millions have been forfeited with the cancellation of yearly anticipated events, such as the Monaco Grand Prix and the Rolex Masters Tennis Tournament, as well as the now-indefinite postponement of the Cannes Film Festival, which was until yesterday still holding out for a mid-July run.

If the crisis conditions continue into summer, belts will be worn tighter as job losses skyrocket and businesses unwillingly close. The effects of this disaster would be felt well beyond the summer months, possibly taking years to fully recover from.

 
 

No new Covid-19 cases since Sunday

by: Stephanie Horsman
15/04/2020

Monaco’s health authorities have reported no new cases of the coronavirus since a single case on Sunday, keeping the total number of people who have tested positive for the virus at a steady 93.

Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday were banner days for the Principality in the fight against the Covid-19 virus. No new cases were reported over the course of three days and only a single case was detected on Sunday.

Six people who had been diagnosed with the disease have now been declared fully recovered, including high-profile cases such as HSH Prince Albert II and Minister of State Serge Telle.

Nine patients are currently in hospital, two of whom are in intensive care. These patients are the ones who have displayed only the most severe symptoms. Health authorities have been monitoring the less severe cases remotely as the patients convalesce at home through the Health Monitoring Centre that was set up specifically for this purpose. To date, there are 116 such patients using the service.

Health authorities are attempting to keep as many people at home as possible in order to keep the hospital from being overwhelmed by minor cases, allowing them to provide care not only for those suffering with coronavirus, but also those in need of other types of urgent medical assistance.

 

Photo: Victoria Cellun, all rights reserved Monaco Life
 
 

Masks, schools reopening next step in crisis

by: Stephanie Horsman
15/04/2020

Monaco’s Minter of State, Serge Telle, has revealed what the government policy surrounding the health crisis will look like over the coming weeks.

In an interview with Monaco Matin, Mr Telle spoke about confinement deadlines, school re-openings and precautions being taken by the government in this next phase of coronavirus health management.

According to Mr Telle, 3rd May is still the date set to gradually start lifting lockdown rules, if the situation allows. Schools will be re-opened on 11th May, including creches, primary schools, colleges, and high schools.

“The Sovereign confirmed it to me Tuesday morning. It is not imaginable for a second that we can reopen them before France,” said Mr Telle. “We are completely nestled within French national territory. Through Patrice Cellario, (Monaco’s Interior Minister) a working group will reflect on how the recovery should be done. Will children have to wear masks? In any case, they will have to respect the rules whether they are healthy carriers or asymptomatic, including social-distancing to protect their teachers. This will be done in coordination with the Academy of Nice.” 

On the subject of masks, which was the topic of much debate in recent weeks, the government of the Principality has done a bit of a volte face, primarily due to the fact that masks are now available in sufficient numbers to be given to the entire population. This breakthrough was due to near-heroic efforts to procure masks, both via local producers and orders placed abroad, several weeks ago.

“This week, we will start distributing masks for the most vulnerable people. This will be detailed by Didier Gamerdinger (Minister of Social Affairs and Health) in the coming days. We will start soon enough so that the whole population will be endowed, whatever the date of deconfinement. It is an absolute objective. We will certainly implement this policy according to which people will have to move with masks when they leave their home.”

Systematic testing of the country’s most vulnerable and those showing symptoms will also start to be carried out through blood tests in the near future.  

Finally, with regards to restaurants and bars, the minister said that whilst it was “not impossible” that Monaco will re-open them before France, it was also not likely as it is not a priority at the moment.