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Month: February 2021

Financial aid extended

by: Cassandra Tanti
28/02/2021

The government has strengthened economic aid for businesses hard hit by the Covid health crisis, guaranteeing further support for the first quarter of 2021.
At a press conference on Friday, Minister of Finance and the Economy Jean Castellini and Welcome Office Director Laurence Garino presented the additional support measures for companies most affected by the pandemic.
“Even if the Monegasque economy has held up rather well, the aid and support measures for sectors in difficulty must be maintained and adapted to the context,” said the finance minister. “Therefore, nearly 150 million euros, entered in the 2021 budget, will help support economic players for immediate aid and, in the long term, to support the recovery.”
The new measures, developed in consultation with the National Council, include a reduction of the eligibility threshold for loss of turnover to 40% from 50%, and an increase in the share of the monthly rent (excluding charges) to 80%.
For specific tourism sectors, such as snack bars, restaurants and events companies, the “special allowance” has increased to €2,500 per month for the first quarter of 2021.
Additional financial assistance of maximum of €15,000 will be given to restaurants who are now forced to dismantle their terraces for the installation of the Monaco Grand Prix circuit and grandstands.
Meanwhile, the government is extending the repayment period for loans guaranteed by the State to 84 months, including 24 months deferred.
Welcome Office Director Laurence Garino said the economic recovery plan also includes boosting the commercial attractiveness of Monaco, particularly on international platforms, as well as the Monaco Boost business incubator.
 

Monaco puts saliva tests … to the test

by: Cassandra Tanti
26/02/2021

Saliva tests, a less invasive way to screen for Covid-19, have arrived in the Principality and are currently being trialled at the National Screening Centre. The government is hoping as many people as possible will take the test, not only to boost screening in the Principality, but to help determine whether the tests actually work.
Health authorities began using the oral test on 18th February at the Espace Léo Ferré, Monaco’s screening headquarters.
However, the testing method is still in the early stages and authorities are yet to determine whether a swab taken from the mouth is as effective as a swab taken from the nose in detecting Covid-19.
So, the government is encouraging as many residents as possible to take the saliva test so it can analyse the data and determine its reliability.
Patients who voluntarily present themselves to the National Screening Centre are invited to take three tests to be a part of the study. In addition to the gold-standard PCR test, two oral tests are being performed, and both involve pain-free swabs of the inner cheek to collect cells.
One sample is sent to the Scientific Centre for analysis, like a PCR test. The second sample is analysed on site, like an antigen test.
This particular saliva test was developed by Starck, a Monegasque company specialising in dental prostheses and implants.
All three tests are completed in about 20 minutes.

The device used in the Starck to collect cells from inside a patient’s cheek. Photo by Stephane Danna / Government Communication Department

To take part in the study, patients must be a contact case or symptomatic. So far, 150 people have taken part and scientists estimate that at least 1,500 tests will have to be analysed before any conclusions are drawn about the test’s effectiveness. If the saliva tests hold up, they are likely to be rolled out on a larger scale.
More than 5,000 people are tested each week in Monaco, the majority of which are PCR tests, while just over 1,000 are antigen tests.
According to Health Minister Didier Gamerdinger, around half of these tests are administered to employees.
Authorities are hoping everyone returning from vacations abroad will get tested upon re-entry to the Principality. Those who took a PCR test before leaving on holiday will receive a message reminding them of their responsibility to get tested again upon their return.
 
Photos by Stephane Danna / Government Communication Department
 
 

Macron raises idea of “health pass”

by: Stephanie Horsman
26/02/2021

French President Emmanuel Macron will hold a meeting with his government next week to discuss a new Europe-wide “health pass” designed to help reopen the country and EU borders for tourism.

Staying far away from the dreaded term “vaccination passport”, President of France Emmanuel Marcon proposed on Thursday the idea of a “health pass” in order to get the country up and running again safely in the coming months.

“We will ask that people register to facilitate the alert system (…) for contact cases, we will probably be able to integrate elements of a recent negative test. We will also see if you have been vaccinated,” Macron said during a press conference after a videoconference with the 27 leaders of the European Union.

He added that the implementation of such a system will “pose many technical questions, respect for individual data, organisation of our freedoms” and, for that, “we must prepare now technically, politically and legally”.

Macron was careful to point out the differences between what a “health pass” and a “vaccination passport”, which would lead to the exclusion of people who have not had the opportunity to be inoculated, or to young people who are not allowed to be given the jab.

“If we manage to reopen certain places, we cannot condition their access to vaccination, as we would not even have opened vaccination to the youngest,” he specified.

The idea is that a pass will help “reorganise movement between states more fluidly” as the threat of the virus lessens.

“We must prevent each country from developing its own system,” Macron said firmly, adding that it was important every country in the EU “work towards a common medical certification.”

Though a standardised vaccination certificate is being looked at by the 27 Union members, as of now, the European Commission has no clear definition of what the common standards would be. This slow decision making process is difficult for some countries eager to reopen for business this summer.

 

Greece, for example, has been pushing for a universally recognised vaccine passport to save it’s floundering tourist industry. France has been reluctant to move ahead, given the country’s vaccination uptake remains so low.

“If things go better, none of us will accept that in order to attract, for example, tourists, there is a country which is less than the other and which takes risks by bringing in people from the end of the world to fill its hotels,” said the French president.

CDI tells youth that there are jobs to be had

by: Stephanie Horsman
26/02/2021

Young job seekers in Monaco have been assured that there are plenty of opportunities to be had in the Principality despite the health crisis.

The Covid-19 pandemic has made for frightening times for young people who are just making a start to their professional careers. Muriel Bubbio, Head of Mission at the Commission for the Integration of Graduates (CID), wants to assure young people her organisation is available for those who are active and sincere in their quest to find work in their chosen fields in the Principality.

Speaking to the government channel Monaco Info, Bubbio explained that since the start of the crisis, the people who have come to her “have been particularly worried and have been asking questions that if they take the courses, will they be able to find a job. But the majority of worry is about internships and work-study.

“The young graduates are much more worried about the process of what schools to choose, concern about passing the Bac and, of course, our role is in the commissioning of graduates to enable young people to make good choices in relation to the sectors of employment in the Principality.” 

Traditionally, CID has helped graduates find careers in finance, teaching, the police department, the medical field, hospitality, yachting recruitment or administration. These options are still wide open, even during the crisis, with plenty of opportunity available to those newly in the job market.

They assist the graduates through various methods, partly as guides and partly to help them learn how to look for work, something many have never had to do before.

“We are really into coaching,” Bubbio asserts. “We are very careful. We are very attentive and we listen to them. Sometimes we are the only resource they have left.”

When asked about the programme’s accomplishments, she says that “I am extremely enthusiastic on one side that this is an essential service, and then at the same time, with the numbers that we have had in 2020…it is an enormous rise of more than 40% of young people who have followed on the last year…I admit that I am very sorry for these kids who have more and more need to see support, a well-guided helper. At this period of their lives, they need someone who has extra enthusiasm for them.”

This support is exactly what CID is best at doing.

The CID’s executive unit is placed under the authority of the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health. This commission aims to promote the integration of Monegasque graduates or graduates with ties to the Principality into the local economy.

 
Photo by Michael Alesi / Government Communication Department
 
 
 

Yacht Club offering course on cybersecurity

by: Stephanie Horsman
26/02/2021

The YCM’s La Belle Classe Academy is offering online training courses to help in the battle against cyberattacks being carried out on superyachts.
La Belle Classe Academy is helping yacht owners and their crews stop cyberattacks on their vessels through a new two-course programme at the Yacht Club of Monaco’s (YCM) training centre. The course is being run by engineer and partner at Xperys, Alexandre Bayeux, and teaches crew how to “arm themselves with essentials on how to manage cybersecurity and protect their yacht.”
Since the start of 2021, cybersecurity has fallen under the jurisdiction of the International Safety Management (ISM) Code. This means that cyber risks must be incorporated in general safety management systems on all vessels.
The International Maritime Organisation (IMO) has published its own ‘Guidelines on Maritime Cyber Management Risk’ giving recommendations aimed at protecting vessels from the latest cyber threats. To anticipate the dangers and protect the yacht from risks, it is important for crew to be able to understand, identify, analyse and evaluate them.
As 95% of cybersecurity breaches come down to human error, it is imperative that the solutions are accessible to all, not just the tech savvy. Participants, therefore, are not required to have computer or cybersecurity skills. They will be schooled in three main areas: technology, the human factor, and organisation.
The three-pronged approach will help those taking the course to understand and put into practice the new IMO regulations through case studies that will give examples of loopholes and weaknesses that cybercriminals can exploit and show crew members how to be efficient first-lines of defence.
“The idea is to give them the keys to detect flaws or a hacking attack in preparation. There are no miracles, but very regularly leaks or hacks are quite crude and you need to know how to listen and identify them,” says Alexandre Bayeux.
The session will also be an opportunity to work on how to behave in the event of suspected or proven attacks. “A well prepared criminal will exploit surprise, fear and hasty reactions to increase the victim’s vulnerability,” the course’s instructor goes on to say.
The first course, called ‘Cybersecurity essentials for a yacht, will be held on 25th March in French and 1st April in English.  The second course, ‘How to manage the crew and suppliers: first line of cyber-defence on a yacht’ is in English only and will be held on 15th April. Each class lasts three hours and costs €150.
 
Photo by Jefferson Santos on Unsplash
 
 

Monaco to strengthen border checks

by: Cassandra Tanti
25/02/2021

As French Riviera towns prepare to go into lockdown this weekend, police in Monaco will be stepping up controls at all road, rail and air entry points to ensure that everyone is playing by the rules.
During a press conference on Wednesday, Minister of State Pierre Dartout said that Monaco will not be following the Alpes-Maritimes in imposing a weekend lockdown, however it will step up surveillance measures.
Therefore, for the weekend starting 6pm Friday 28th February, and the following weekend starting Friday 5th February, the public will notice a much stronger police presence at all entrance points into the Principality – on roads, the train station and even the heliport.
“There will be increased controls to ensure there is no escape from the rule,” said the minister.
While Monegasque residents are not under weekend lockdown, Pierre Dartout strongly discouraged citizens from travelling to the neighbouring French department which has an incidence rate three times the national average.
As a result, it was announced this week that the Alpes-Maritimes would be placed under partial lockdown for the next two weekends. The travel ban applies to all of Monaco’s neighbouring French towns including Beausoleil, Cap d’Ail, Castellar, Eze, Gorbio, La Turbie, Menton, Roquebrune-Cap-Martin and Sainte-Agnès.
On Thursday, it was announced that Dunkirk had been added to the list of places to go into lockdown this weekend. In total, 1.5 million people are affected, 1.1 million of those are in the Alpes-Maritimes alone.
 
Photo by Yevhenii Dubrovskyi on Unsplash