Six students in the same class at the François d’Assise – Nicolas Barré (FANB) have tested positive for the coronavirus, closing the whole class temporarily.
The government revealed on Tuesday that the seconde class at FANB had been sent home as a preventative measure until Friday 19th February inclusive.
According to an early trace investigation, two of the six students could have been infected within the school.
The students will be given distance education by their teachers.
Parents of the pupils concerned were informed of the situation and urged to monitor their children for Covid symptoms and to isolate them as much as possible during the stay-at-home period.
The government said contact students will be offered a PCR test to ensure they have not contracted the virus.
Photo by Manuel Vitali / Government Communication Department
While all countries in Europe have started their vaccination programmes, not all are rolling out doses at the same rate. The immunisation figures per country vary wildly from a paltry 0.69 per 100 people in Russia to a massive 18.45 per 100 in the U.K.
They may no longer be part of the European Union, but they have the highest vaccination rate in Europe, by far. The United Kingdom has vaccinated over 13 million citizens since it started its immunisation programme back on 8th December. It was also the first country to approve the vaccine, the one put out by BioNTech and Pfizer, and also the first to approve the Oxford Astra Zeneca jab, giving them a head start over the continent.
After the UK, the numbers fall off, with Malta showing a vaccination rate of 8.51 per 100 as of 7th February, followed by Serbia with 8.0. France comes in near the bottom of the list at a dismal 3.3 per 100, with Monaco’s other neighbour, Italy, in the middle of the pack with 4.23 per 100 people having received their jabs.
Some of the hold up in Europe has been due to the highly publicised shortages of vaccines available. The EU was slow in ordering the jabs and, as a result, the roll out has also been slow since manufacturers did not have proper lead up times to start ramping up production.
The EU has approved three vaccines. The first was the Pfizer BioNTech jab, followed by the one created by Moderna, and now the Oxford Astra Zeneca vaccine.
The EU was recently up in arms over the seemingly uneven distribution of the Astra Zeneca jab, causing a near-international incident between the newly-divorced UK and the Union, but this seems to have passed as several countries, including France and Italy, received their first shipments over the weekend.
As Europe continues its fight against Covid, the European Commission is pushing ahead with plans to tackle another disease, cancer, which killed more than 1.3 million Europeans last year alone.
With Covid taking centre stage for so long, it is easy to forget that other deadly diseases are still ravaging populations around the globe.
In 2020, 2.7 million people in the European Union were diagnosed with cancer and half that number died from the disease. Without conclusive action, by 2035 cancer cases are estimated to increase by almost 25%, making it the leading cause of death in the EU.
Moreover, the Covid-19 pandemic has had a severe effect on cancer care, disrupting treatment, delaying diagnosis and vaccination, and affecting access to medicines.
On 3rd February, the eve of World Cancer Day, the European Commission presented the ‘Europe’s Beating Cancer‘ plan, spearheaded by its President, Ursula von Der Leyen.
“While we were all fighting against the Covid-19 pandemic, many of us were fighting a silent battle. The battle against cancer,” said Ursula von Der Leyen during a presentation of the plan. “In 2020, we lost 1.3 million Europeans to this disease and sadly, the number of cases is on the rise. This is why we present Europe’s Beating Cancer Plan today. The fight of those battling cancer is our fight as well, in Europe.”
The programme will use new technologies, research and innovation as the starting point in efforts to tackle the disease from every angle. From prevention to the quality of life for those already suffering with the disease, and for survivors, the Beating Cancer Plan aims to focus actions where it can add the most value.
The broad-reaching programme will span policy areas ranging from education, employment, equality and social agendas, touching on other areas that may seem unrelated but are part of the bigger picture, such as environment, climate, energy, agriculture, transportation, taxes, and marketing.
The plan has four key areas: prevention, early detection, diagnosis and treatment, and improving quality of life, with 10 flagship initiatives that will be given €4 billion in funding to attain their aims.
Under prevention, high risk behaviours and factors such as smoking, alcohol abuse, pollution, and use of hazardous substances in daily life will be addressed. Exercise is a key factor in reducing cancer risk. Photo course: Pixabay
In addition, a campaign entitled ‘Healthy Lifestyle 4 All’ will be introduced to set people on the path to a better life through healthy diet and exercise.
Finally, the programme will target cancers brought on by infection, with a goal of immunising at least 90% of girls against HPV and to increase their vaccination programme for boys by 2030.
Early detection of cancer is the best way to fight the disease, so the EU is stepping up access to screenings so that, by 2025, 90% of the population of Member States have regular and reliable access to breast, colon and cervical screenings.
The plan also aims to make the playing field level by offering comprehensive care across the board. Currently there are places where certain medicines and equipment are unavailable, leaving those populations at higher risk. The programme allows for the building of cancer centres linked throughout the EU network so that by 2030, 90% of patients will have improved access.
They will also launch an initiative focusing on follow up care, to help cancer patients and survivors improve their quality of life through rehabilitation, support in the event of recurrence and social reintegration.
“This is first and foremost about people,” Stella Kyriakides, Commissioner for Health and Food Safety, said, “about celebrating and reinforcing resilience and treating cancer as a disease that can and must be overcome. A strong European Health Union is a Union where citizens are protected from avoidable cancers, where they have access to early screening and diagnosis, and where everyone is empowered with access to high quality care, at every step of the way. This is what we want to achieve with our Cancer Plan – making concrete impact for cancer care over the coming years. For me this is not just a political commitment, it is a personal commitment.”
Four Monaco-based entities are joining forces to promote sustainable yachting through education, shared values and networking opportunities.
The International University of Monaco (IUM), the Young Professionals in Yachting Monaco (YPY Monaco), Cluster Yachting Monaco and Onboard with Marcela are now working together on a project to promote the global yachting industry with a focus on the environment, education, sustainable values and networking for yachting professionals.
The dual goal of making Monaco the centre not only of the superyacht world but of the sustainable yachting world is the driving force behind the partnership.
“For this reason, the participants of this conglomeration feel particularly proud to be Monaco based with ambitious projects in mind to position Monaco as the yachting luxury capital of the world,” said the team in a press release.
IUM’s luxury management and marketing offerings, as well as their specialised degrees, make their graduates and staff natural fits in the world of yachting.
Onboard is a consulting firm based in the Principality that focuses on corporate strategies for the yachting industry. Their business to business approach has helped promote the lifestyle potential to owners and those involved in the industry, as well as staging events and activities to bring local businesses together.
YPY Monaco is the local branch of the international organisation that welcomes professionals under 40 who work in the industry to get together for networking and educational events. The have other chapters in the UK, New Zealand, the Netherlands, the USA and Germany.
Events this year so far include the Monaco Symposium on Luxury from 7th to 9th April; the Mark Challenge Grand Final on 19th May, when finalists are invited to present their business concepts at the Monaco Yacht Club; and Yachting Ventures, the first yachting accelerator helping entrepreneurs in yachting thrive. Applications opened in February.
The government has extended the support it will provide for employees in self quarantine for three days as they await the results of a PCR test.
As part of the fight against the spread of the Covid-19 epidemic, the Prince’s Government last month suspended the three-day waiting period in the event of a work stoppage for PCR screening.
The measure has now been extended to 28th February 2021.
It means that if an employee or civil servant of the Principality is asked to not work and self-isolate while they wait for the results of a PCR screening test, they will receive daily allowances by the CCSS or the SPME from the first day, guaranteeing 50% of their total daily salary.
According to the government, and depending on the provisions applicable in each company, the employer may also provide funds to fill the gap.
“The suspension of the waiting period makes it possible to support employees and civil servants in respecting the isolation measures that the loss of income suffered during this period could discourage,” said the government in a statement.
Monaco employees were requested to work from home from 8th February where the position allows.
