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Day: 12 May 2021

France hits record vaccination milestone

by: Cassandra Tanti
12/05/2021

After a sluggish start, France’s vaccination rollout has hit full speed and is reaching new highs. So, how does it compare to Monaco?
Around 1.47 million people in the Provence-Alpes-Côte-d’Azur (PACA) region have now been vaccinated against Covid, according to the latest figures. With a population of 5,088,998, that equates to around 29% of the population.
On a national level, a new record was reached last weekend with more than 450,000 vaccinations administered in just two days.
Currently, more than a third of adults in France have received at least one dose of the vaccine. As of 12th May, 18.15 million people have received at one injection, equivalent to 34.5% of the population, and 7.9 million have been administered two injections, or 15.2% of the population.
As of 6th May in Monaco, 13,934 people had received their first vaccination, equivalent to 36.33% of the population. Of those, 86.14% have also received their second shot.
 
 

All adults in France can now be vaccinated

by: Stephanie Horsman
12/05/2021

France has now opened up last minute next-day appointment slots for all people over 18-years-old in an effort to speed up the vaccination programme and cut down on wastage.
The government is well on track to hit the target goal of 20 million first doses of the Covid vaccination by 15th May, particularly now it is allowing everyone over 18 to book an inoculation that becomes immediately available.
It is a departure from the previous system, where slots were reserved by age group or for those classed as vulnerable.
As recently as Monday, only those aged over 50 had been invited to be inoculated, and everyone else was earmarked for 15th June.
The vaccine roll out in France has been sporadic at best, with many vaccination slots going unclaimed as people still seem reluctant to make appointments. This spurred an internet campaign under the hashtag #YouthWantTheVaccine, calling for the government to ease access criteria.
“We have an epidemic that currently causes 300 deaths per day on average,” epidemiologist Catherine Hill told France 24. “It is therefore necessary to vaccinate the population as soon as possible. It was logical, at the beginning, to vaccinate the people most at risk, but if, from now on, we have available doses that are not being administered to priority recipients, then we might as well administer them to younger people.”
In addition to general French scepticism over vaccines, there is a reluctance by many to receive anything but the Pfizer jab, causing an already slow rollout to slow down even more.
This “vaccine shopping” is due in part to a lack of understanding by the public. In France, people have the right to choose which vaccine they want based on what is available, causing traffic jams.
“Everyone wants Pfizer,” said Brigitte Abel, who manages a call center where people make appointments. “Once we explain that there’s nothing to worry about with Moderna, and that it’s the same technology as Pfizer-BioNTech, people usually have no problem accepting either one.”
But French people are gradually warming to the idea of being vaccinated. A recent poll cited by pri.org states that 70% of French people are now willing to get the vaccine, compared to 42% back in December. And now with the over 18’s getting a shot at the jab, France’s numbers are sure to get a boost.
Registration for vaccination can now be made via the Doctolib website here: https://www.doctolib.fr/vaccination-covid-19/france
 
 
 

What changes from 19th May in France?

by: Stephanie Horsman
12/05/2021

Wednesday 19th May marks the all-important phase two of a four-phase plan to pull France out of lockdown. These are all the restrictions that will be eased. 
French Prime Minister Jean Castex further laid out the government’s lockdown exit strategy on Monday, including the highly-anticipated reopening of restaurants, café terraces, cultural venues and non-essential shops on 19th May.
From next Wednesday, the curfew will be extended to 9pm compared to the current 7pm. After 9pm, it will still be necessary to carry a justification certificate or risk being fined.
There is a possibility the 9pm curfew will be further moved back to 11pm on 9th June, then eradicated altogether by 30th June, the next target dates the government has set for changes to the rules.
Next up on 19th May are restaurants, bars and cafés which will see a resumption of service, though at half capacity and with no more than six people sitting together at a table. Hotel restaurants can also reopen, though they are limited to serving only guests of the hotel.
Cultural and entertainment venues and sports arenas can reopen with rules, while religious ceremonies and marriages can go ahead, although guests can only fill one out of every three seats.
“Every third seat in a cinema or at a show may be filled, with a limit of 800 people per room,” Castex said in an interview with Le Parisien on Monday.
Museums will also reopen on 19th May, but each visitor will be accorded eight square metres of space. For sporting events, both indoor and outdoor facilities can welcome fans, with limits of 800 people indoors and 1,000 outdoors.
France’s shops, open-air markets and covered markets will all be able to reopen. The past few months have seen a chequerboard of rules regarding what is and what is not allowed to open. Now, we know that all shops can open regardless of size or location. This includes large shopping malls. The eight square metre rule applies here like at museums.
Covered markets must adhere to the eight-metre rule, as well, but open-air markets need only four square metre spacing.
Outdoor funerals are limited to 50 people, and spas can also reopen for treatments prescribed by a doctor.
“I say it in the clearest way possible: This exit will take place in a gradual, careful and guided way. But the trend is clear, we are reaching the goal and that’s good news,” said the French PM.
Stage three is due to start on Wednesday 9th June.
 
Photo of the Gare de Sud in Nice by Ludovic Charlet on Unsplash
 
 

UAE included in mandatory quarantine list

by: Cassandra Tanti
12/05/2021

The United Arab Emirates is one of seven additional countries that have been added to France’s mandatory quarantine list, impacting Monegasque travellers passing through the French Riviera airport.
From 8th May, the French government extended its quarantine list to include Turkey, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Nepal, United Arab Emirates and Qatar in the wake of rising Covid-19 infections.
The list already included Brazil, Argentina, Chile, South Africa, India and Guyana.
According to the French government website, people arriving from one of these 12 countries can only enter France if they have “pressing grounds” for travel.
They must provide a negative PCR test carried out less than 36 hours before boarding and a sworn declaration.
Travellers will also be subject to a mandatory 10-day quarantine and provide proof of quarantine location, which will be checked by police or gendarmerie.
Those who faile to comply with the protocol are liable for a fine ranging from €1,000 to €1,300.
 
 
 

AS Monaco mystery solved

by: Stephanie Horsman
12/05/2021

AS Monaco football club have unveiled their new brand, solving the mystery surrounding their odd home page and social media of recent days.
Rise. Risk. Repeat. That is the new slogan for the Red and Whites, accompanied by a brand new look, which is a more modern reworking of the team’s visual image.
All club activities and anything officially tied to the team will now be branded with this new look which features a gradated version of the iconic red diagonal background, punctuated by strong white diagonal strips and the slogan printed boldly in white in three tiers. The crest also got a small make-over, with the gold that once adorned the crown now gone.
The team explains the reason for the update on their website saying, “Over the years, the Monegasque club has established itself as a benchmark by relying on its youth, its audacity and its ability to take up sporting challenges through its European epics and the record of success it has built up. The new brand thus underlines the identity, the history and the view of the future of AS Monaco in the cosmopolitan context of the Principality.”
Each of the three words in the slogan represents an aspect of the team. “Rise” is to celebrate the club’s “fighting and daring spirit”, “risk” speaks for itself, though it also encompasses the team’s willingness to take a chance on developing young talent, and “repeat” emphasises the team’s ability to fight to better themselves, even when the going gets tough.
AS Monaco, the only team in the French Championship to have won at least one title in each of the last six decades, prides itself on being able to bounce back from bad times, always looking to the future whilst still appreciating where they have been.
“Symbolised by the current season, Rise.Risk.Repeat. follows in the footsteps of this new dynamic,” said Oleg Petrov, the team’s Vice-President and CEO. “The club has launched several development projects, such as the Performance Centre, and the past summer we opened a new chapter on the sporting front. The new brand accompanies this desire to move forward, on and off the pitch, by building on what makes AS Monaco inimitable and strong.”
For Sunday’s match against Stade Rennais, the Red and Whites will wear a collector’s jersey featuring the new brand. Some jerseys from the match will be auctioned for the benefit of the Ligue Méditerranée to support local amateur football clubs.
“The new brand is inspired by the club’s main markers to accompany its development and support its ambition,” explained Markus Breglec, Chief Marketing Officer. “Rise.Risk.Repeat. perpetuates the image of AS Monaco: that of a dynamic and modern club, attractive, aware of its heritage and focused on the challenges of tomorrow.”