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Month: August 2021

Monaco makes Covid vaccine available to all workers

by: Cassandra Tanti
05/08/2021

Less than a week after opening its free vaccination programme to employees aged over 40, Monaco is now encouraging all workers in the Principality to get the jab.
The government’s strategy to inoculate as many people as possible in the Principality against the potentially deadly virus has come full circle.
It announced on Thursday 5th August that anyone living or working in Monaco can now access the free Covid-19 vaccine. Since early June, all residents over the age of 12 have been encouraged to get the jab.
Unvaccinated employees are invited to contact the Covid-19 Call Centre at 92.05.55.00, reachable seven days a week from 8am to 8pm, or online on the website www.covid19.mc.
The Prince’s Government is also urging “everyone aged 60 and over who have not yet been vaccinated to do so as quickly as possible, because only vaccination constitutes effective protection for older people who are more vulnerable to the virus.”
Those under the age of 60 are also advised to take advantage of the inoculation programme.
“For the younger (population), the vaccine is the most effective solution to be able to enjoy their summer while protecting themselves and others,” said the government in a statement.
From 23rd August, anyone wishing to access a restaurant, bar or cultural venue in Monaco will be required to show a health pass proving full vaccination coverage, recovery from the virus, or a negative PCR or antigen test. This applies to workers within these institutions as well.
It comes as Monaco is experiencing a “fourth wave” of the virus, with circulation at the highest point since the pandemic began.
As of 30th July, 67.11% of the eligible population in Monaco aged 12 and over had received at least one shot, while 83.33% of those had also been administered the second shot.
 
 
Photo by Manuel Vitali, Government Communication Department
 
 

UK drops quarantine for travellers from France

by: Stephanie Horsman
05/08/2021

After massive outrage by UK cabinet ministers, the 10-day quarantine on fully vaccinated arrivals from France has been scrapped, giving the green light to sun-seeking Brits to start booking trips again. 
In another volte face by the UK government, fully vaccinated visitors and residents, as well as children under 18, coming from France will no longer be asked to self-isolate for 10 days, putting the country back on the same footing as other amber-list European countries.
The announcement came on Wednesday and was brought about by pressure from the tourism sector and from inside the government itself. The move to eliminate “watchlists” and “amber plus” countries, as France was previously classified, will help reduce confusion around travel rules and hopefully boost the number of French tourists wanting to come across the Channel to holiday as well as encourage UK travellers to spend time abroad.
Several other countries were upgraded to the green list, meaning no quarantine whether visitors are vaccinated or not, and include Austria, Germany, Slovenia, Slovakia, Latvia, Romania and Norway. France and Spain remain amber for now, though Spain is under close watch.
All changes come into effect at 4am on Sunday 8th August GMT.
UK Transport Secretary, Grant Shapps, said the new rules were significant. “While we must continue to be cautious, today’s changes reopen a range of different holiday destinations across the globe, which is good news for both the sector and travelling public,” he said.
For UK travellers entering France, adults who are fully vaccinated and children aged 12 or under travelling with them will no longer need to provide a negative PCR or antigen test, nor will they be required to present any forms to quarantine. Proof of vaccination must be presented at border controls to receive the exemption.
Unvaccinated visitors are asked to supply a sworn “Statement of Honour” for those over 12 years of age and a Travel Certificate to Metropolitan France for those 18 and older. They must also present a privately obtained negative PCR or antigen test taken no more than 24 hours before travel and must then quarantine for seven days upon arrival.
 
When France was categorised as “amber plus” at the very start of the school holidays, it came as a major blow. UK travellers are still hesitant, with airline seat capacity this week sitting at a paltry 42% of 2019 levels. Europe has rebounded better and sits at 68%, according to data from OAG.
The changes on both sides of the Channel are expected to be a boon for struggling airlines and the hospitality sectors. France was second only to Spain pre-pandemic for the number of visitors from the UK, with dozens of flights offered per week.

Cirque du Soleil postpones Riviera show, again

by: Stephanie Horsman
05/08/2021

Cirque du Soleil’s latest offering ‘Corteo’, which was scheduled at the Palais Nikaia in mid-August, has been postponed once again due to health concerns.

‘Corteo’ was set to run from 19th to 22nd August at the Palais Nikaia, however an announcement was made on the venue’s website, stating, “Due to the current situation still uncertain and the sanitary measures still in place, we have to postpone again the dates of our ‘Corteo’ show which were originally scheduled for August 2020.”

Tickets for the show will remain valid for future performances once new dates have been set.

“We look forward to the possible return on stage and to be able to share these moments with you again,” the troupe wrote.

Other shows planned for later this year are currently still going forward, such as at the Arena du Pays d’Aix in October or in Montpellier in November. This however, depends on the evolution of the health situation.

“Corteo” means “procession” in Italian and the show takes the audience on a journey of a clown attending his own funeral, followed by his journey into the afterlife. The theme may sound depressing, but in fact, it is a joyful time, found in the imaginings of a clown. The show combines acrobatics, comedy and acting, immersing spectators into a world filled with playfulness and spontaneity somewhere between heaven and Earth.

The setting is inspired by the Eiffel Tower and hand-painted curtains give the stage added finesse.

The troupe performing ‘Corteo’ is made up of 51 acrobats, musicians, singers and actors from all over the globe.

 
 
 

Female figures honoured in Monaco

by: Cassandra Tanti
04/08/2021

Three roads in Monaco will be named after women who have contributed to the growth and influence of the Principality.
Meeting for an extraordinary session on 28th July, the Communal Council voted unanimously to name three public roads on the Promenade du Larvotto. Place Anne-Marie Campora is being named after the former Mayor of Monaco from 1991 to 2003, the Promenade Princesse Louise-Hippolyte will pay homage to the Sovereign of Monaco in 1731, and Place Josephine Baker will be named after the American-born French entertainer, Resistance agent and civil rights activist, who is laid to rest in the Monaco cemetery.
“These proposals, which have received the approval of HSH the Sovereign Prince and HRH the Princess of Hanover, respond to the Communal Council’s wish to assign the names of female figures who have contributed to the growth and influence of the Principality,” said the Mairie de Monaco in a statement.
 
 
Photo by the Mairie de Monaco
 
 
 

What constitutes a health pass in Monaco?

by: Cassandra Tanti
04/08/2021

Digital health passes are now mandatory for all foreigners wanting to eat out in Monaco, but what if your country hasn’t issued you a QR code, like the United States?
For a foreigner in Monaco, a valid QR code is the key that unlocks the doors to restaurants, bars and cultural venues, as the government tries to balance controlling the spread of Covid with maintaining economic activity in the Principality.
From August 23rd, this obligation will be extended to citizens and residents as well.
For those living in Monaco, France, or the European Union, QR codes are easily accessible through the Monaco Safe Pass, TousAntiCovid app or the EU Digital Covid Certificate.
But for citizens outside of the EU, the process is not as clear. Those vaccinated in the United States, for example, only have a handwritten card from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to show as proof, and many have asked us at Monaco Life whether this will be accepted in the Principality.
The answer is yes. The Covid-19 information service has confirmed to us that paper certificates identifying a person’s vaccination status is accepted at all necessary points in the Principality.
What constitutes a health pass?
There are very specific rules, however, as to what is acceptable proof of health status. People either have to show they have completed a vaccination programme and received two doses of an EU-approved vaccine: Pfizer, Moderna, AstraZeneca or one dose of Johnson & Johnson no less than two-weeks previously; a negative PCR or antigen test taken within the last 48 hours, or a Covid-19 recovery certificate that is less than six months old.
Why the confusion?
The situation differs greatly in nearby France, where paper proof of vaccination is not always accepted. Americans have been told that they can obtain a QR code health pass at pharmacies upon presentation of their paper documentation. This has been easy for some, not for all.
Meanwhile, the British Embassy in Paris confirmed to The Connexion that UK NHS vaccination certificates are not yet compatible with France’s health pass scanning tool which will be used in restaurants, bars and many other venues in France from next week.
Don’t forget your ID
Upon entry to a restaurant or cultural venue in Monaco, customers will be asked to present their health pass or vaccination certificate. The name on these certificates will be cross referenced with a valid form of identification, so be sure to carry both when you head out in Monaco.
 
 
Photo by Cassandra Tanti for Monaco Life
 
 
 

Princess reveals October return to Monaco

by: Cassandra Tanti
04/08/2021

Princess Charlene says she is planning to return to Monaco by the end of October. In the meantime, she has teamed up with her husband’s foundation for a species-saving mission in South Africa.
Princess Charlene’s trip to her native South Africa several months ago took an unexpected turn when she fell ill with a serious infection following a sinus lift and bone graft surgery she had before her departure.
Speaking to South Africa Radio 702 host Mandy Wiener last week, the princess said, “Initially, I was supposed to be here for 10 to 12 days. Unfortunately, I had a problem equalising my ears, and I found out through the doctors that I had a sinus infection and quite a serious one. So, it’s taking time to address this problem. I cannot go into full detail, but I cannot force healing, so I will be grounded in South Africa until the end of October.”
The Princess of Monaco says she is feeling “well”, despite playing a waiting game in South Africa. “It’s the longest period I’ve actually been away from Europe, let alone my children, but I’m Face Timing them most days and they’ve been here and will be returning to see me again after my procedure. But I cannot predict how my healing process will go (…) I’m very sad I can’t be with my children this summer in Europe.”
When asked if she would have liked to accompany her husband Prince Albert to the Tokyo Games, the former Olympic athlete said that she “salutes the South African athletes that have taken a very high risk to be in Japan during a pandemic,” but conceded, “I don’t think I would have liked to have gone to Japan, no.”
Despite the difficult circumstances, Princess Charlene said that it is “wonderful” to be back in South Africa, and there is now a much larger purpose to her time in the African continent.
“I have united my foundation with my husband’s and I am using Sub-Saharan Africa to work because there are a number of things that need to be addressed in this country. There is a deterioration of a species, the rhinoceros, that has walked this planet for millions of years and is on the verge of extinction. Something needs to be done about this. I am using every network and every means possible to get the attention of the world, to get everyone behind me to stop this.”
The Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation revealed in June that it was uniting with the Princess Charlene of Monaco Foundation for this year’s Monte-Carlo Gala, an annual fundraising event that has drawn in millions for the Prince’s environment-focussed foundation.
Unfortunately, the Princess’ October return date means that she will be unable to attend the exclusive gala, which will take place on 23rd September at the Prince’s Palace.
 
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Photo shared by Princess Charlene on her Instagram account