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Day: 7 July 2021

When will Monaco reach herd immunity?

by: Cassandra Tanti
07/07/2021

Just over 40% of the eligible population in Monaco are still unvaccinated as health authorities in nearby France warn of a possible “fourth wave” by the end of July.
The latest data by the Prince’s government shows that, as of 1st July, 20,178 people in Monaco had received at least one dose of the Covid vaccine, equivalent to 58.6% of the eligible population aged 12 and older. Of those, 88% had also received their second shot.
While the figure places Monaco high in the chart of vaccination rates per country – the United Arab Emirates has a vaccination figure of 64%, followed by Chile with 57% and the UK at 50% – it does mean that close to 40% of the eligible population in Monaco is still unvaccinated, despite ample supplies.
Health authorities are continuing their push for everyone over the age of 12 to take advantage of Monaco’s vaccination programme, which uses Pfizer exclusively. As of 28th June, even cross-border workers employed in the public sector are now able to access the free shot.
France fears another rapid wave
Nearby France this week warned of a possible “fourth wave” by the end of July due to the spread of the more contagious Delta variant, which now accounts for 30% of new infections in the country.
“Over the past week, the epidemic is again gaining ground,” French government spokesman Gabriel Attal told France Inter radio on Monday, adding that a fourth wave of infections is “a possibility” by the end of this month. His statement echoes a warning issued by Health Minister Olivier Veran late Sunday.
According to government data, L452R variants, including the Delta variant, now account for 78% of cases in the Alpes-Maritimes, where the incidence rate of circulation stands at 30, compared to 24 for the whole country. Hospitalisations are far from saturation point however, with intensive care units in the Provence Alpes Côte d’Azur region at 24% capacity.
As of 4th July, Monaco’s incidence rate was 42, down from 60 the previous week. Only one person, a non-resident, is hospitalised with Covid at the CHPG.
Since the start of the pandemic, 2,595 people in Monaco have been infected with Covid, 33 of those have died.
When will we reach herd immunity?
Many scientists had thought that once people started being immunised against Covid en masse, herd immunity would permit society to return to normal. Most estimates had placed the threshold at 60–70% of the population gaining immunity, either through vaccinations or past exposure to the virus. But as the pandemic enters its second year, the thinking has begun to shift.
According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), the percentage of people who need to be immune in order to achieve herd immunity varies with each disease. For example, herd immunity against measles requires about 95% of a population to be vaccinated. The remaining 5% will be protected by the fact that measles will not spread among those who are vaccinated. For polio, the threshold is about 80%.
The proportion of the population that must be vaccinated against Covid-19 to begin inducing herd immunity is not known. “This is an important area of research and will likely vary according to the community, the vaccine, the populations prioritised for vaccination, and other factors,” says the WHO.
 
READ ALSO:

Population urged to take part in major Covid study

 
Photo by Monaco Life
 
 
 
 
 

How will hydrogen power the maritime sector?

by: Cassandra Tanti
07/07/2021

If you are interested in learning more about hydrogen as a promising alternative to fossil fuels, then take part in this week’s Monaco Hydrogen Working Group roundtable in Monaco.
The second roundtable of its kind is being held on Friday 9th July at the Yacht Club of Monaco, from 10am to 1pm, as part of the 8th Monaco Energy Boat Challenge.
Organised by the Yacht Club of Monaco, in collaboration with the Prince Albert II Foundation and the Mission for the Energy Transition (MTE), the conference will also be broadcast online on the Zoom platform to allow as many people as possible to attend.
The initiative will bring together institutions and those involved in hydrogen projects to discuss the development of hydrogen in the maritime and transport sectors.
If you are interested in joining the roundtable, register here.
 
READ ALSO:

Energy Boat Challenge kicks off on Tuesday

 
 

Interview: Norbert Barré, Founder and Curator TEDxCannes

by: Kat Pirelli-Zucchetta
07/07/2021

We speak with Norbert Barré, organiser of this year’s TEDxCannes annual conference at the Palais des Festivals, which was focused on climate change and sustainable solutions for a better planet.
The future is a source of opportunities, and TEDxCannes aims to project this positively through its speakers.
TEDxCannes has been organised independently by TED since 2014. It is the only event of its kind in France to be officially bilingual, while most of the 25 videos of the talks are available in five languages.
Monaco Life: What can you tell us about this year’s conference held in June?
Norbert Barré: This year, we fully adopted TED’s Countdown initiative, which aims to identify and promote solutions to the challenges of climate change. But we went further: we launched a Climate Solutions Accelerator to support start-up CEOs for eight weeks before TEDx in order to “accelerate” their business development.

How did you source your speakers?
Out of the 17 talks of the day, seven came from this Climate Solutions Accelerator, launched following a Call for Expressions of Interest. We benefited from the partnership of Cannes Lérins and from the Capenergies competitiveness cluster, EDF and SUEZ being our main partners, and also ENEDIS, GRDF, the Port of Cannes and ENGIE Solutions as supporting partners.
Who were the speakers and companies involved?
There was a 1st session in the morning to promote concrete solutions brought by start-ups from the large South East quarter of France, but also from other regions. We talked about biowaste mechanisation, catamaran hydrogen propulsion, solutions to avoid the discharge of waste at sea, protection of the Posidonia, and opportunities to recycle and revalue land excavation to manufacture building materials, in an ultra-short circuit.
Were any of the speakers from the French Riviera?
70% of the solutions promoted in the morning of TEDx were from the French Riviera. In the afternoon, for the even more inspirational talks – most of whom are also connected to the Countdown on a human level, we had the same proportion of local speakers, from Aix and Marseille to Nice.
When is your next event and what will the topics be?
Our next event will take place around the COP 26 (Climate Change Conference) in November in Glasgow. We will remain focused on the Countdown themes, such as protection of the sea, waste management and food, sustainable mobility, 100% clean energy, sustainable materials and construction, fight against major risks.
 
https://tedxcannes.com/
https://www.facebook.com/TEDxCannes
 
 
Photo credits: TEDxCannes
 
 

Creative classes for kids at the Grimaldi Forum

by: Stephanie Horsman
07/07/2021

Searching for something fun for the kids to do during summer break? Take a look at these Giacometti-themed youth workshops coming up at the Grimaldi Forum.
From 12th to 23rd July, the Grimaldi Forum will be hosting a series of creative summer workshops for children aged seven to 11, teaching the art of making art using the Alberto Giacometti exposition as inspiration.
Themes change each day of the week and include some amazing offerings such as model drawing, where children use a classmate as a model and try their hand at sketching them in different poses, as well as portrait drawing, where participants work from a painted portrait of Anette and reproduce the sketch using black pen before shading in the surfaces with dry pastels.
Other offerings see kids getting their hands dirty whilst having fun creating a Giacometti-style bust from a block of clay, or reproducing a Giacometti Walking Man sculpture using a metal wire frame encased in clay, a favourite method of the artist.
Finally, kids can create still life drawings, replicating an apple as true to life as possible using shadow play and volumes with dry pastels.
Whilst on-site, children and parents will also be able to enjoy the Giacometti exhibition currently underway highlighting 230 works from the artist that include sculpture, paintings, prints and drawings accompanied by photos.
The classes run Monday through Friday from 10am to 12pm, or from 2pm to 4pm, with a maximum of 20 students per workshop. For reservations and more information, call the Grimaldi Forum ticket office at +377 99 99 30 00.
 
READ ALSO:
Inside Monaco’s summer exhibition of Alberto Giacometti
 
Photo of Giacometti’s Walking Man by Monaco Life
 
 
 

Supreme Court: company directors not liable for company debt

by: Stephanie Horsman
07/07/2021

A landmark decision by the Supreme Court has no doubt sent small sighs of relief through the business community. It states that, in the event a company ceases to be able to pay their bills, that the responsibility does not necessarily fall to the managing directors to fill in the gaps.

The Supreme Court released word to the press of its decision that will be of interest to business owners in the Principality, as well as to vendors that are struggling to get compensation for non-payment of goods and services proffered.

On 11thJune 2021, the Court decided to uphold the constitutionality of a specific article of the Commercial Code declaring that in the event of a company being unable to pay debts from company coffers, that the responsibility was to fall to the directors of said company, following the law stated in the Constitution to ensure the liabilities are taken care of. That is unless the management can “justify that they have brought to the management all the due diligence.”

Article 560, the one in question, establishes a presumption of responsibility to pay back debts come what may and comes about after a legal battle that went before the court of First Instance. The dispute was between a liquidator and a public limited company and its former directors who questioned the constitutionality of the article. The Court of First Instance referred the case to the Supreme Court, who have the final say in matters regarding assessment of legality of current laws.

According to the press release, the Supreme Court ruled that “Article 560 of the Commercial Code does not violate the rights of the defence and the principle of equality before the courts guaranteed by the Constitution after noting that this provision responds to a reason of general interest since the legislator intended to ensure the effective settlement of social debts; that the presumption established by this provision is ‘rebuttable’ in the sense that the company director can escape the presumption of responsibility by justifying before the judge that by his behaviour and management, he has brought all the activity and due diligence in the interest of the legal person; that he is free to ask the judge to order the communication of documents held by the other party in order to ensure his defence and, finally, that, moreover, the judge always has the option, in view of the circumstances of the case, to exempt the manager, in whole or in part, from the obligation to meet liabilities.”

This is second case brought against article 560. On 4th December 2018, the Supreme Court held that the law was not contrary to the European Convention on Human Rights of Men, and that it fully conforms with international law.

 
 
 
Photo source: Pixabay