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Month: April 2020

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
 
Read more:

Back to business at Larvotto construction site

 
 

Prince’s Foundation initiates “day after” campaign

by: Cassandra Tanti
23/04/2020

The Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation has launched ‘A green shift?’, a new campaign encouraging everyone to reflect on the impact the coronavirus crisis has had on the environment and use the opportunity to create a new balance between humans and the earth.
“The impulse of solidarity that unites us today is proof of our ability to act together with a common goal,” says the foundation. “The need for a collective response to global challenges is more fundamental than ever, whether it be the coronavirus or environmental preservation.”
The Prince’s Foundation says that we all, individually and collectively, have a role to play to ensure that we emerge from this crisis with a commitment to breathe new life into measures taken by countries and industries to combat climate change and biodiversity loss.
Through a series of short video interviews, the Foundation is inviting scientists to take the floor to reflect on the link between the environment and the pandemic, on the current impact of the crisis in various regions of the world, and on the perspectives for the “day after”.
The campaign began symbolically on 22nd April, the 50th anniversary of Earth Day, with a message of hope from HSH Prince Albert II of Monaco.
“Over the past few weeks, our lives have changed at an unprecedented speed. These upheavals will inevitably continue,” said the Prince in his message. “It is up to us to turn this situation to our advantage, to ensure that the current suffering leads to a better world.”
Several personalities will also share their points of view in areas of environment, science and the economy, and how this new balance between man and nature can be achieved at the end of the crisis.
The videos will be broadcast on the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation’s social networks and on its website.
 
Read more:

Prince joins Earth Day call to action

 
 

Government deficit means belt tightening in 2020

by: Stephanie Horsman
23/04/2020

The vote by the National Council on Wednesday night to amend the 2020 budget includes the “exceptional and historic” step of implementing a deficit – something not seen in the Principality since the financial crisis in 2009.

The new budget has created a fiscal deficit of €477.3 million to keep Monaco’s government running smoothly. This number roughly equals one-third of the Principality’s overall budget, and a quarter of the available funds from the Constitutional Reserve Fund (FRC).

The fund is fully endowed with €5.5 billion, but only €2 billion of that is in ready cash. This may sound like a tremendous amount of money but drawing vast sums from the reserves is not typically how things work in Monaco. In order to stay within this allotted financial plan, the government will need to not only tighten their belts, but also to generate income to replenish the coffers.  

Jean Castellini, Minister of Finance and the Economy, asks for the government to be “prudent and pragmatic in the budgetary choices which will require drawing from this Reserve Fund. It is the heritage of all Monegasques. It must be managed with intelligence, parsimony and in a virtuous way.”

He goes on to remind us that “In a country where the budget is generally voted in balance, where the last deficit episode dates back to the 2009-2011 period following the global crisis (€200 million spread over three years), we are talking here of almost €350 million of excess expenses… over three months!”

The Minister of Finance suggested some options to help along economic recovery, including new revenue streams from the digital economy, local commerce and the tourism industry, which is expected to bounce back once the epidemic is over.

Along with income possibilities, though, monetary caution is required. The Minister states that government operating expenses must be kept to a minimum. Expect to see more cost cutting measures such as the Palace’s recent announcement that they will be running a tighter ship this year. Finally, he reminds people to keep investing in the Principality and show belief that these times will pass quickly.

 
Photo: Jean Castellini, Minister for Finance and the Economy, © Direction de la Communication – Manuel Vitali
 
 

Monaco Scientific Centre starts Covid testing

by: Stephanie Horsman
23/04/2020

After delays and missing pieces, limited rhino-pharyngeal PCR testing for Covid-19 can now begin in the Principality.
Monaco’s Minister for Social Affairs and Health, Didier Gamerdinger, has announced that the automaton donated by the Monaco Scientific Centre (CSM) and adapted to process rhino-pharyngeal PCR tests is ready for action.
There are enough materials to carry out 150 to 200 tests to start, followed by an expected delivery of 1,000 more. After this, systematic replenishments will come into effect, ensuring that a steady stream of testing materials will be on hand.
The first tests were carried out by CSM’s Jérôme Durivault and Guillaume Groshenry before being cross-checked with the hospital in Nice. In normal practice, the samples will be taken at the Princess Grace Hospital (CHPG) and will be subject to an initial treatment within the hospital.
This makes it possible to send only the DNA and RNA of the virus, if a positive result is returned, to the Scientific Centre. This method has the advantage of not bringing the virus into the CSM, avoiding furthercontagion.
The test analyser can handle up to 30 tests at a time, taking approximately three to four hours to get final results. Having direct access to this machine is of great advantage to the Principality. Previously, it was necessary to send samples to Nice, Marseille or even Paris, prolonging waiting times by several days.
The automaton has been approved by the World Health Organisation and is simple to operate. Cartridges are placed in the machine where the tests are analysed and within hours, results can be obtained. The drawbacks are that the cartridges are expensive and currently in short supply.
Despite these issues, the tests are invaluable to the hospital, especially in cases of potential emergency situations. Due to the limited supply, only symptomatic people who are elderly, pregnant, organ/tissue donors or a health care professional can ask for the tests.
In addition to the nasal swab testing, serological and saliva tests are also being considered by the government, but probably not until the next generation come out.
Serological, or blood, tests only determine whether a person has produced antibodies to the virus, so are tricky as they cannot determine if a person is contagious or not. So far, no blood test has worked completely effectively, though researchers are working on this now.