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Day: 24 April 2020

Céline Dion cancels Monaco concert

by: Cassandra Tanti
24/04/2020

Singing legend Céline Dion has announced the postponement of the European leg of her Courage tour, including a performance set for Monaco this July.
The highly anticipated concert was due to take place in the newly renovated Monte Carlo Casino Square on 18th July.
Organiser Monte-Carlo Société des Bains de Mer confirmed on Friday 24th April that the singer would not be gracing the Principality of Monaco this year.
In announcing the news, Céline Dion said in a statement: “My thoughts and prayers are with all those who have lost loved ones and are severely affected by this devastating pandemic caused by the coronavirus. I know everyone is struggling to adapt to these difficult circumstances, not knowing when things will return to normal.
“Eventually, we will get through … sooner than later, hopefully. I have so much admiration for the medical professionals, the first responders and all those courageous people who do everything they can to take care of us and support us during these hard times.
“I look forward to the day when we can still share our joy of singing and dancing together. At the moment, health and safety is everyone’s top priority … but know that I’m really looking forward to coming back on stage and being with you again.”
Courage was Dion’s first album release since 2016’s Encore un Soir. She previously postponed several concerts on her world tour after falling ill with the common cold.
She did, however, participate in Lady Gaga’s ‘One World: Together at Home’ concert on 18th April, which raised almost €130 million to support health care workers in the fight against the Covid-19 pandemic.
Ticket holders for the 18th July concert are invited to contact the SBM ticket office for reimbursement.
 
 
 
 

MCSEBC changes format

by: Stephanie Horsman
24/04/2020

The Monaco Solar & Energy Boat Challenge, due to be held this summer, has been cancelled because of uncertainty surrounding the coronavirus pandemic. In its place will be a series of webinars with all the latest in alternative energy solutions for the boating world.
In a message sent out week to exhibitors, teams, the jury and visitors to the Monaco Solar & Energy Boat Challenge, organisers said they’ve decided to postpone the event until 2021 in light of the ongoing health crisis.
In order to allow some interaction between interested parties and those who have put much hard work into creating new alternative energy advances in seagoing vehicles, the event is hosting webinars via Zoom.
The first of these webinars will be held on 30th April at 4:30pm with the founder of FinX, Harold Guillemin. He will be discussing how to revolutionise outboard engines and maritime propulsion methods using the latest “breakthrough” technology currently in development, vision for the propulsion systems of tomorrow and the positive impact of young entrepreneurs on the industry.
The presentation will last half an hour followed by a live 20 minute question and answer session. To register for the online event, visit https://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_ZZ7r82fpQ7OW1heqjW7Oew
Since 2014, the Monaco Solar & Energy Boat Challenge has been organised by the Monaco Yacht Club in conjunction with the International Powerboating Federation and the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation. The purpose of the show is to attract those interested in or creating alternative propulsion systems using clean energy sources to build the yachts of tomorrow with sustainability in mind.
For any questions from either participants or visitors, the organisers are asking people to contact them on energychallenge@ycm.org
 
 

Government outlines plan to de-escalate lockdown

by: Stephanie Horsman
24/04/2020

Health Minister Didier Gamerdinger has revealed more details of the government’s plan for returning life back to “normal” after confinement, including the availability of cheap masks for employers to purchase for their workers.

As the Covid-19 virus begins to slow its march through the population, Monaco’s Minister for Social Affairs and Health announced in a press briefing on Thursday 23rd April the preparations that are being made for life post-confinement.  

The three-pronged plan includes no surprises. Masks, screening tests and digital tracing will all be the hallmarks of de-escalation in the Principality.

The procurement of masks has been a point of concern since the start of the health crisis. A secure and reliable supply of masks has now been obtained, so every resident will have access to medical masks until they are no longer required. Obtaining the masks was an arduous process however, according to the minister, and fraught with trouble. Mr Gamerdinger revealed that scammers attempting to sell sub-par masks without proper safety certifications were a problem that the government had to overcome.  

“We have succeeded in securing supply chains,” said the minister. “To date, in stock in Monaco, we have 3.6 million surgical masks and 274,000 FFP2 masks. And we have over €9 million worth of masks on order.”

Two free cloth masks per resident and disposable masks for employee are slowly becoming available. Video tutorials on how to maintain and wear the masks are broadcast on the government’s Facebook page and the Monaco Info channel.  

“We are thinking about distribution on a very large scale, therefore our entire population and all our employees,” added Mr Gamerdinger. “The idea is to protect everyone.”

Cloth mask distribution for all residents aged 16 to 65 is in progress and deliveries by La Poste is expected to end Thursday 30th April.

Employers will be able to buy single use disposable masks at cost (1€ plus VAT) from the government. Distribution has already started through employers’ organisations.  

The government has established an ordering process for employers on its website.

Wearing a mask will not be mandatory, but with access to affordable protective gear, the government is hoping most people and companies will comply.

Widespread screening is also in the works. The government plan is to “look at what the epidemiological status of residents and employees of the Principality are, so we can quickly tell a person if they are positive or not, isolate them and confine them if necessary.”

A new automaton converted by the Monaco Scientific Centre will allow for more tests to be processed faster in the coming weeks. The minister disclosed that a company based in Monaco has also recently filed a patent on a new test what has allegedly been able to isolate proteins from the virus. Blood tests are also being ramped up – 1,000 tests have been delivered and are being checked for uniformity. Once this is complete, an additional 30,000 tests will be arriving from a company out of Hamburg, with the possibility of obtaining an additional 20,000 if needed.

The last component toward a safe post-lockdown period is digital tracing. The government is considering using geographic tracking software on smartphones following similar experiments in Singapore and Hong Kong, and those zplanned for Germany and France.  

“It’s a system that you download to your phone. We activate the Bluetooth function and your phone will record the coordinates of all the phones you are close to when you are traveling,” explained Mr Gamerdinger. “You then indicate if you are positive and the system will notify all the people with whom you were in contact. This allows them to be invited to be tested if they have symptoms.”

The government is also looking at Google and Apple, two companies with vast tracking experience who are working together to develop a mobile application to track Covid-19 patients and alert people in contact. Again, usage will be voluntary, especially as many people are sensitive to their privacy protection and individual freedoms.

 

Photo: Pixabay 

 
 

Prince checks up on Larvotto building site

by: Stephanie Horsman
24/04/2020

Prince Albert has made a special trip to visit the construction site at Larvotto Beach. Works resumed recently after the site was initially shut down because of the Covid-19 health crisis.
Prince Albert II was accompanied to the site by Minister of State Serge Telle, Minister of Public Works Marie-Pierre Gramaglia, Minister of Health and Social Affairs Didier Gamerdinger, and Patrice Pastor, vice-chairman of Enterprises J.B. Pastor & Fils.
The Prince had a personal interest in seeing progress on site but was also concerned for the health and safety of the workers, ensuring all precautions were being taken to protect them.
It is one of a number of construction sites in the Principality that are moving forward, despite the crisis. A control inspection of the Portier roundabout and car park also took place on Thursday 23rd April. This site is part of the land extension project and will have 155 parking spaces over four levels, including 10 for electric vehicles from the service industry and seven for people with reduced mobility.
This roundabout enabled a complete revamp of the Rue Portier section located above the Larvotto viaduct, and which was formerly used as terrace seating for adjoining restaurants. The space created by the project allows for the development of five new commercial spaces under the viaduct, giving additional reception capacity for the businesses located there, formerly only on offer during summer months.
Photo: ©Gaëtan Luci- Palais Princier
 
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Back to business at Larvotto construction site