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Day: 20 July 2020

"No second wave" as France reports up to 500 active clusters

by: Cassandra Tanti
20/07/2020

French authorities have reported 400 to 500 active coronavirus outbreak clusters but there are no signs of an imminent “second wave”, Health Minister Olivier Veran said Monday.
Many of the current virus clusters involve abattoirs or other contained professional settings such as old age homes, he said.
Others had resulted from family reunions during the summer holidays.
“At this point we are very far from a second wave,” Veran told Franceinfo radio, as face masks were made mandatory in all enclosed public spaces including shops, covered markets and administrative buildings.
“The goal is not to worry people excessively, but to keep them on their guard,” he said.
Nationwide the “R” number indicating the viral transmission rate now stands at 1.2, meaning 10 infected people will infect an additional 12 on average, according to the Sante Publique France health agency.
But in some areas, the rate is much higher, including Marseille and Nice which now have a rate of 1.55, putting the region at the “red” alert level. A region turns red when the figure exceeds the threshold of 1.5.
Two other regions are also in the same situation: Brittany, which has an R of 2.62, and Reunion with 2.26.
Dr. Parola from the IHU (Méditerranée Infection), told La Provence that he was “attentive but not worried”, revealing that “the positive patients, to date, are mainly travellers, people who have returned from countries where the epidemic is not yet under control, people who are linked to travel or transport, or cases of close family contact with these travellers returning from abroad which is, essentially, for us, from Africa.”
The Provence Alpes Côte d’Azur region remains “green” in three other categories, in particular for the rate of positive serological tests. Currently, less than 5% of the tests carried out in the region are positive. The other two criteria are the occupancy rate of intensive care beds and the incidence rate of positive RT-PCR tests per 100,000 inhabitants over seven days combined.
However, if the “worrying trends” continue the government will again consider regional lockdowns or even new nationwide confinement orders, Veran said, adding:  “All people without face masks in public spaces risk fines of €135.”
Asked if France had enough masks to go around, having been caught woefully short when the outbreak gained speed in March, Veran said he was focusing on ensuring there were stocks in vacation hotspots as well as the Paris region.
The government aims to have a stockpile of 60 million face masks by October, compared with just 3.5 million when the outbreak began.
 
(AFP)
Photo of Monaco by Marijke Timmermans, all rights reserved Monaco Life
 
 

A history of music in the Palace

by: Cassandra Tanti
20/07/2020

To celebrate Palace Day this year, the Prince’s Palace of Monaco has shared some interesting insights on the history of music and the important role it has played to many Princes throughout the centuries.  
Palace Day takes place every year on 19th July and was developed by the Association of European Royal Residences, of which the Prince’s Palace has been a member since 2015.
On Sunday, the Monegasque institution took to Facebook to share its long history with music, the theme of Palace Day 2020.
Since the reign of Prince Honoré II (1597-1662), the Palace of Monaco has attracted musicians and, like other great European palaces, has served as a backdrop for court ballets, such as the Analects of Diane and Apollo in 1654 and Le Vittorie di Minerva in 1655.

Marie-Charles-Auguste Grimaldi, Count of Matignon, by Marie-Anne Loir, 1738, oil on canvas. Coll. Prince’s Palace of Monaco. Cl. G. Moufflet – A.P.M.

At the beginning of the 18th century, Prince Antoine I (1661-1731) kept a permanent ensemble of musicians and himself lived a life full of music, exclaiming in 1730: “We music from morning to evening, and the days seem short to us. Oh! dolce vita!”
The previous year, he had written to the composer Destouches, saying: “I dare to say moreover with truth that with the exception of Paris, there is nowhere where we perform better than here, and that you would be a little edified to see me, sometimes, beating in time and giving movements with the famous baton of Lully: it is a relic that I guard carefully, and that I adopted the moment after his death.”
In 1718, the Italian Baroque composer and violinist Francesco Manfredini, who was in service of Prince Antoine I from 1711 to 1728, dedicated a concert to his patron.
Prince Honoré III playing the hurdy-gurdy (Vielle à roue), by Marie-Anne Loir, 1739, oil on canvas. Part of Prince’s Palace of Monaco collection. Cl. G. Moufflet – A.P.M.

Meanwhile, Prince Honoré III (1720-1795) also recruited the service of renowned concert performers including Valentin Rœser in 1762, who went on to dedicate six sonatas to him.
At the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century, when the Monte-Carlo Opera was the scene of many important musical creations, Prince Albert I (1848-1922) became friends with the composers Camille Saint-Saëns and Jules Massenet.
In 1959, Prince Rainier III and Princess Grace decided to host an annual season of symphonic concerts in the palace’s main courtyard, where the best international artists performed.
Cellist and conductor Mstislav Rostropovitch celebrating his 50th birthday with Prince Rainier III and Princess Grace in March 1977 at the Cabaret . Cl. René Maestri. Coll. A.P.M.

The brass band of the Company of the Carabiniers du Prince was formed in 1979, primarily to take care of the music at military ceremonies. Having expanded its repertoire, the band became an orchestra in 2014 and, on 13th June 2019, gave a concert as part of the annual general assembly of the network of European Royal Residences.
In 2016, reviving the tradition of court music from the great princely, royal and imperial dynasties across 17th and 18th century Europe, singer Cecilia Bartoli formed a baroque orchestra called ‘The Musicians of the Prince – Monaco’.
The Palace released various posts throughout the day on Sunday, detailing the history of music at the Palace, including this television interview with Prince Rainier III and Princess Grace celebrating the centenary of the Monte-Carlo Opera.
Summer concert in the Palace Court of Honor, August 2, 2009. Cl. Gaétan Luci. Coll. A.P.M.

Given the health situation this year, only two concerts will be held within the Court of Honour, by invitation of the Palace only, on Sunday 2nd August and Thursday 6th August 2020.
 
Top picture: Prince Honoré III playing the hurdy-gurdy (Vielle à roue), by Marie-Anne Loir, 1739, oil on canvas. Part of Prince’s Palace of Monaco collection. Cl. G. Moufflet – A.P.M.
 
 

Grand Ida moving ahead

by: Stephanie Horsman
20/07/2020

The Grand Ida project is finally underway, with extensive works planned in the area around Rue Plati that will see improved electric, sanitation, telephone and water lines put in place.

After many delays, the Grand Ida project has finally commenced. A total of 160 state-owned housing units, with a 350-space car park, a creche with 35 cribs, and professional and commercial premises has begun and is estimated to be completed by 2023.

The building will be located in the La Colle district, in the vicinity of Boulevard Rainier III and Rue Plati, and will feature beautifully landscaped pedestrian areas as well as the aforementioned amenities, a welcome change to what many found to be a rather unattractive site.  

Those currently living on the site have been temporarily relocated until works are completed, when they will be given first dibs on the new apartments.

Additionally, many of the buildings in the area will also be given facelifts. Les Mélezes and Les Cédres will have façade renovations that include a replacement of old windows and roller shutters for more efficient and modern designs. External insulation will be added to provide a greater level of thermal and acoustic protection as well. Finally, new water, gas, electricity and phone lines will be added in a two phase project, replacing the old ones which range from 59 to 65 years old.

The site was initially bought by the state in 2009 with the intention of making it lodgings for children. This plan was scrapped due to the lack of state-housing in Monaco, and replaced with the new plans over the subsequent years. 

 
 

Moreno out, Kovak in

by: Stephanie Horsman
20/07/2020

Despite a pre-season win against Bruges, AS Monaco has decided to part ways with head coach Robert Moreno after only 13 games, instead replacing him with ex-Bayern Munich coach Niko Kovac.
In a stunningly fast turn of events, AS Monaco has given walking papers to Catalan coach Robert Moreno after only seven months with the team. Management for AS Monaco cites an incongruity with Moreno’s “style of play” and the direction they want the team to head in as the reason for the split.
The decision to let Coach Moreno go comes despite a fantastic pre-season 2-0 win against Bruges at the Stade Jan-Breydel on Friday where Wissam Ben-Yedder and Aleksandr Golovin each scored in less than 10 minutes of play.
“Our paths parted sooner than expected but I would like to thank Robert Moreno for accepting the challenge,” said General Manager and Vice president of AS Monaco Oleg Petrov in a statement on the team’s website. “Together with his staff, Robert has done his utmost to improve the team, with enthusiasm and dedication of his time. I wish him all the best for the future.”
The new head coach, Niko Kovak, has signed a three-year contract with the club with an option to extend if all goes well. Croatian Kovak was part of the Croatian team that played in two World Cups, in 2004 and 2008. He went on after retirement to become the head coach of the Croatian national team between 2013 and 2015, where in 2014, he saw the team qualify for the World Cup.
He then moved on to Frankfurt until 2018 and Munich where his team won 45 out of 65 matches played.
“Niko represents the highest level of experience both as a former player and head coach,” said Paul Mitchell, AS Monaco’s Sporting Director. “His energy, his way of working and his vision of the game make him the coach the club needs to assert our ambitions and build the solid foundations to create sustainable success for the future. Welcome Niko.”
 
Photo courtesy AS Monaco 
 
 
 

Hamilton takes win in Hungary as Leclerc places 11th

by: Stephanie Horsman
20/07/2020

Lewis Hamilton has claimed victory and the points lead after a near-perfect race at the Hungarian Grand Prix on Sunday.

Mercedes took two of the top spots at the Hungaroring for the Hungarian Grand Prix over the weekend. Lewis Hamilton, well on his way to another World Championship, won his eighth victory on the track, with teammate Valtteri Bottas coming in a respectable third. Red Rull’s Max Verstappen took the silver. 

The conditions were not ideal, as the track was slippery from a deluge that ended only an hour before the race began. This clearly did not deter Hamilton who dominated the day. His fastest tour was over one second faster than Bottas and 2.5 seconds quicker than Verstappen. He was so fast, in fact, that he received an extra point for fastest lap overall, giving him a five point lead over Bottas in the standings. 

Meanwhile, Ferrari star and Monegasque pilot Charles Leclerc is having a rough go of things, finishing 11th in Hungary and 7th in overall standings. He sits with a mere 18 points to Hamilton’s 63, a gap that may seem insurmountable, but who knows what the future will bring.

On a more political note, the race featured pilots sporting Black Lives Matter tee shirts, though only Hamilton took to one knee.