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Month: April 2020

Leclerc initiates fundraising race for WHO

by: Stephanie Horsman
14/04/2020

Charles Leclerc has recruited five fellow Formula One drivers to take part in a new Esport series called #RaceForTheWorld, raising funds for WHO and the fight against the Covid-19 virus.
Team Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc can now add philanthropist to his list of talents and achievements. The hotshot driver has organised the event, along with fellow drivers Lando Norris, Alexander Albon, George Russell, Antonio Giovinazzi and Nicholas Latifi, to be part of a three-round virtual championship race scheduled for this weekend.
Two of the double-header events were already raced on 11th and 14th April, with the third and final one being held on Friday 17th April. All donations will be earmarked for the World health Organisation’s Covid-19 Solidarity Relief Fund.


The goal is to raise €100,000. So far, the pilots have amassed over €35,000 with the hopes of meeting their target by week’s end.
“The initiative is a response to the current global pandemic lockdown and gives the drivers another opportunity to race online, to entertain fans across the world, and to raise some money for the WHO fund that has been established to help fight coronavirus across the world,” the event promoters said.
The drivers say that none of their ‘Race for the World’ events will clash with the wildly popular official F1 Virtual Grand Prix series.
The 22-year-old Monegasque made a splash on the simulator racing scene recently as he won the F1 Esports Virtual Grand Prix series event on Melbourne’s Albert Park circuit.
For additional information or to donate to the event, visit the website at:
https://tiltify.com/+race-for-the-world/racefortheworld
 

Commerce figures down in early 2020

by: Stephanie Horsman
14/04/2020

The latest figures from IMSEE show that business was slightly down in both the retail and automotive repair sectors in February ahead of the coronavirus lockdown.

With roughly 800 establishments in the Principality representing €1.5 billion in turnover, retail is an important part of the Monegasque economy. In fact, it was the eighth biggest contributor to the country’s gross domestic product (PIB) in 2017.

This 2017 figure showed a slight decline, -1.9%, from the previous year, but still outperformed the worldwide figures which saw an overall drop of -3.5%. The year 2018, though, saw an encouraging augmentation of 3.7%.

The retail sector of Monaco has 706 brick and mortars, while automotive and motorbike repair has 94. The lion’s share, 366, are located in the Monte-Carlo district, followed by 163 in La Condamine.

Despite the decline in business, the retail and automotive repair businesses have seen modest but steady increases in the number of people they employ. In 2016, these sectors had a combined total of 2,800 staffers. By the end of 2019, the number had inched up to nearly 3,000.

More women were likely to be hired than men in the non-automotive retail companies, with the ration being roughly 60/40 in favour of women. The inverse was seen on the automotive side where over three-quarters of those employed were men. Nearly one in two are under the age of 40. 

In 2018, the retail trade generated €1.5 billion in turnover, an increase of + 3.7% after the noted slight decrease in 2017. Over 10 years, the turnover of the retail trade has increased by an impressive +64%. The share of automotive trade turnover increased from 2014 to 2017 and stabilised in 2018. They represents almost a third of the entire sector.

 

 

France prepares to end confinement

by: Cassandra Tanti
13/04/2020

The lockdown in France will be gradually lifted from 11th May, however the Schengen border will remain closed for months to come.
French President Emmanuel Macron gave his third address to the nation on Monday night, announcing that strict confinement would continue for another month. He stressed that this would only be possible if France “continues to be civil, responsible and respect the rules.”
On 11th May, creches and schools will open gradually, while students in higher education and university will not return to class until September.
The most vulnerable members of the community – the elderly and those with severe disabilities and chronic illnesses – “must remain confined even after 11th May, at least initially.”
Public establishments such as restaurants, cafes, cinemas, gyms and museums will remain closed “at this stage”, while festivals will only be allowed to go ahead after mid-July.
“The situation will be collectively assessed from mid-May, every week, to adjust things and give you visibility,” said the president.
France’s borders with non-European countries, however, will remain closed “until further notice”.
The head of state said that by mid-May, France will have a test for each person with Covid-19 symptoms and a general public mask for each person in the country. Masks could also become “systematic” in certain situations, like on transport and for certain professions.
Macron announced “a specific plan” for sectors, like tourism, hotels, catering, culture and events, which will be “permanently affected”, including the cancellation of charges and financial aid.
The president conceded early in his speech that France was “not sufficiently prepared” for the pandemic. “Like all the countries of the world, we lacked gloves, hydroalcoholic gel …”. However, he said, thanks to the efforts of the French, the country has multiplied the production of masks in recent weeks by five.
In ending his speech, President Emmanuel Macron called on everyone to “think outside the box” in the coming weeks, to reinvent themselves and prepare for what’s to come.
“Me first,” said the president. “In this crisis, there is an opportunity for us to reconnect, to test our humanity, to build another project in harmony… I will try to draw the path that makes this possible. My dear compatriots, we will have better days and we will find happiness.”
 
Photo: Screengrab of President Macron’s live address
 
 

Princely family’s Easter wishes

by: Stephanie Horsman
13/04/2020

Prince Albert has joined his wife in sending a special Easter message to the people of Monaco. Meanwhile, Princess Charlene has publicly shared some sweet photos of the twins enjoying Easter in the garden of their Angel Roc home. 
The Princely couple were casually dressed in matching light blue button downs, she seated with her two dogs, he standing with a hand warmly on her back in a spring-like enclave replete with hay bales, cheery plants and stuffed bunnies. They reminded the residents of the Principality that despite the difficult times, they wanted everyone to know they wish them a nice Easter.

Princess Charlene sent her own wishes to her 153,000 Instagram followers a few days prior, posting photos of the twins hard at work planting flowers and generally looking adorable, saying she was, “Sending healing and love to the world, we miss you, see you soon.”
Princess Gabriella and Prince Jacques looked much like five-year olds everywhere on half term break. They were kitted out in track suits, casual shoes and gardening gloves, intent on the job at hand; scooters leaned up against the back wall.
https://www.instagram.com/p/B-0Hy0llBOW/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
 
The photos and video were taken at Angel Roc, the family’s country home above Monaco, where the Princess and children stayed when HSH Prince Albert II was self-quarantined during his bout with coronavirus. The Sovereign Prince joined his family once he was given the all clear by doctors and continues to work from home there, respecting the rules of lockdown.
 
Photo: A screen grab of Prince Albert’s and Princess Charlene’s Easter message
 
 

Monaco is stronger together

by: Cassandra Tanti
13/04/2020

Monaco’s #strongtogether solidarity campaign is gaining traction with a host of Monegasque personalities joining the rallying cry, including Prince Albert II.
#strongertogether began in late March, as Monte-Carlo Société des Bains de Mer hung banners from its iconic Monegasque institutions in solidarity with SBM staff and employees.

The Monte-Carlo Casino ©️ Direction de la communication / Manuel Vitali

By 4th April, the Prince had joined the social media initiative, with the Palace releasing a picture of the Sovereign holding a globe alongside the hashtag #strongtogether. It was accompanied by the message: “In the difficult period we are going through, where the course of our lives remains suspended, HSHs Prince Albert II and Princess Charlene thank all those who face this terrible ordeal with strength and determination. Let us keep the spirit of unity and solidarity flowing with courage and patience. I rely on all of you.”
So far, there have been a number of people joining the solidarity campaign, including athletes and cheerleaders of AS Monaco Basketball, hospital staff, public authorities, businessman Cédric Biscay from Shibuya Productions, the Grimaldi Forum and Monaco’s new Archbishop Dominique-Marie David.
https://www.instagram.com/p/B-32LpvDWfJ/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
 
https://www.instagram.com/p/B-6jLVjHQ_Q/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
Jean-Luc Biamonti, Chairman of the Monte-Carlo Société des Bains de Mer, sent out his own  message alongside a photograph: “Through this message, let us be united and supportive in this challenging time.”
 
 
 
 

Dogs being taught to detect Covid-19

by: Stephanie Horsman
13/04/2020

Man’s best friend is now on its way to becoming man’s best defence against the coronavirus as a British charity looks into training dogs to detect the virus in humans.  
UK association Medical Detection Dogs have spent years researching dogs and how their uncanny sense of smell may be used for more than just hunting truffles. The charity has already successfully taught dogs to detect malaria, and now they are planning to tackle the novel coronavirus.
The science behind this is simpler than it seems. Through their research, Medical Detection Dogs has formulated a hypothesis that each disease has its own particular odour. Using this as a basis, the organisation has begun preparations for concentrated dog training to give the public health sector a rapid, non-invasive and inexpensive diagnosis. They estimate the training will take six weeks.
The way they teach the dogs is by giving them samples to smell in a controlled training room. When they find a positive sample, they alert the human in charge, much the way a drug-seeking canine is used in law enforcement.
Once trained, dogs could also be used to sniff out and identify infected travellers entering countries or be deployed in other public spaces to keep the disease from spreading.
“In principle, we’re sure that dogs could detect Covid-19. We are now looking into how we can safely catch the odour of the virus from patients and present it to the dogs”, Dr Claire Guest, CEO and Co-Founder of Medical Detection Dogs said. “The aim is that dogs will be able to screen anyone, including those who are asymptomatic and tell us whether they need to be tested. This would be fast, effective and non-invasive and make sure the limited NHS testing resources are only used where they are really needed.”
Of course, the dogs could be used anywhere, such as at the Monaco borders, giving public safety officers a first line of defence and a way to alert infected people that they should seek medical attention.
This could be a real game changer in the fight against the disease which has already topped 1.8 million cases.
Professor James Logan, Department Head of Disease Control at The London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine agrees, saying, “Our previous work demonstrated that dogs can detect odours from humans with a malaria infection with extremely high accuracy – above the World Health Organisation standards for a diagnostic. We know that other respiratory diseases like Covid-19 change our body odour so there is a very high chance that dogs will be able to detect it. This new diagnostic tool could revolutionise our response to Covid-19 in the short term, but particularly in the months to come, and could be profoundly impactful.”