Month: September 2021

It’s back-to-school for France’s 12 million plus students, who need to adhere to a raft of Covid-prevention rules befitting the level two alert status of the nation. 

Masks, limitations on mixing, social distancing for sports activities and constant hand washing are the hallmarks of the 2021-22 return to school in France.

Though the rules may seem rather restrictive, they are far better than the alternatives and are meant to give parents and educators a certain level of comfort.

“You must first have a feeling of serenity, the start of the school year is prepared, the students will be there, the teachers too, the (health) protocol is clear,” said the Minister of National Education, Jean-Michel Blanquer, on France Inter Wednesday.

The ministry has put the health protocol at level two out of four, which means even primary school age children from six years must wear masks indoors for face-to-face learning. A single case of Covid in the primary schools will result in closure, as it was at the end of the last academic year.

In the middle schools and high schools, only students who are unvaccinated and who have been in contact with someone who has tested positive will need to isolate for a week. To try and keep the number of students forced to distance learn as low as possible, mobile vaccination centres will be sent to certain schools to vaccinate those who had not had a chance to do so prior. The jabs will, as ever, be voluntary.

“The question of the progress of vaccination is the key to this return to secondary school,” said Sophie Vénétitay, general secretary of the National Union of Secondary Education (SNES-FSU). “But vaccinations do not protect completely,” she says. “We know that the virus will circulate. The question is to know in what proportions and to what extent (the fact) of having vaccinated pupils will play.”

Minister Blanquer, though hopeful of being able to keep schools open, has warned that “It is possible that there is an increase in contamination” which could lead to a toughening of the sanitary protocol in schools, with stricter limitations on the mixing of students or of a gauge limiting the number of people present in class, on a local or national scale.

Despite all precautions, the teachers’ unions are not entirely satisfied.

We had asked for program adjustments but it was not,” Ms Vénétitay laments. “We act as if the last two years had been normal and this is not at all the case.

“This start of the school year would have required the establishment of an emergency plan and the massive creation of posts for education, in a context which made the progression of learning more complicated.”

As a result, the union is planning a strike on 23^rd September to demand more resources to schools.

 
 
Photo by Kelly Sikkema on Unsplash
 
 
 

The Principality is mourning the loss of two of its firefighters who were killed in a tragic road accident on the RD6202 near Puget-Théniers on Tuesday afternoon.

The accident, involving firefighters from Monaco and the Alpes-Maritimes, took place at around 5:30pm, leaving one dead at the scene and another who died from injuries overnight. The announcement was made by Colonel Norbert Fassiaux, head of the Monaco fire brigade.

The tragedy occurred when a motorist hit four motorcycles carrying the firefighters who were out enjoying a ride on the Route Departmental 6202 near the town of Puget-Théniers.

Traffic was closed in both directions until 10pm to make way for the emergency helicopter that came to airlift the injured men out.

A 42-year-old fire sergeant was pronounced dead at the scene. Another victim, a 22-year-old volunteer firefighter from the SDIS06 barracks in Carros, was seriously injured and transported to hospital but succumbed to his injuries overnight.

The two other Monegasque firefighters are in hospital with less life-threatening injuries and are being closely monitored.

Late Wednesday an official statement from the Palace was released, saying: “HSH Prince Albert II learned with great sadness of the tragic disappearance, last night during a motorcycle ride in Puget-Théniers, of Sergeant Stéphan Hertier and Sapper Mathis Canavese. Prince Albert wishes to assure the families of these two devoted firefighters that he shares their great sorrow. He sends his wishes for a speedy recovery to the two other firefighters also injured in the accident. The Sovereign Prince also expresses His deep emotion to the Principality’s Fire Brigade, deeply affected by this terrible accident.”
Wednesday morning, Minister of State Pierre Dartout, accompanied by the Minister for the Interior Patrice Cellario, went to the Condamine Fire Station to show the government’s support after the tragedy.
“It is with great emotion and deep sadness that we mourn the death of two of our firefighters. It is a tragedy for their respective families, for the entire Monaco Fire Brigade and for the entire Monegasque community,” said the Minister of State.
National Council president Stéphane Valeri also released a statement, saying: “I learned of the tragic accident which plunged entire families of the Monaco Fire Brigade into grief and consternation. With this tragedy, which is as brutal as it is unjust, our entire national community is affected.
On behalf of the National Council and all of the National Councillors, I extend all my compassion and solidarity, as well as my most sincere and saddened condolences, to all those affected by this tragedy.”
The driver of the utility was taken into custody. An official inquiry will determine the exact circumstances surrounding the tragedy.
 
 
Photo: Michael Alesi, Government Communication Department
 
 
 

On Saturday 4^th September, Monaco’s anti-health pass protestors are hoping to hold their first demonstration in the Principality.
After several weeks of making their voices heard on social media as well as at demonstrations in Nice, the group ‘Peaceful demonstration against the health pass in Monaco’ (Manifestation pacifique contre le pass sanitaire à Monaco) has organised its first gathering in Monaco for Saturday on the Place des Moulins at 2pm.
The group, now with around 4,000 members on Facebook, is not only opposed to the health pass, but also to being vaccinated, saying, “What can the health pass be used for today? Collective immunity to vaccines is unachievable. Vaccinated and unvaccinated have almost the same viral load. Regarding the vaccination obligation, today caregivers, tomorrow for all employees, and ultimately the entire population, including children? There is an emergency, let’s take our destiny in hand. Let’s mobilize now, tomorrow it will be too late.”
The organisers sent three requests for demonstrations to the head of Monaco’s Public Security, Richard Marangoni, for 4^th and 11^th September at 2pm, and on 9^th September at 3:30pm, all at Place des Moulins. The requests have not yet been approved.
Protests of this size would be firsts in the Principality, and the government says it is taking into consideration “the preservation of public order, changes in the health situation or the programming of economic, sporting, cultural or recreational events,” according to Minister of the Interior Patrice Cellario.
In order to prevent the event from turning into a free-for-all, and to allay government fears, the organisers have created a “code of conduct” for protestors to follow. The rules include “No reference to the Prince or to the Princely family. No defamatory messages. No anti-Semitic or racist messages, for example, no yellow star. No vulgar messages. No incitements to hatred. No anti-vax messages such as ‘My body, my rights’ or ‘Vaccine = poison’.”
Additionally, they have brought in security services to supervise and a medical team in case of emergencies.
“We raised a lot of inconsistencies about the health pass, but it was not much heard. Our arguments were not heard,” said Sharon Rochetin, founder of the Facebook group and a local shopkeeper. “We wasted a lot of time in sterile discussions. Time, we don’t have any more. The only way to be heard, it is the action, it is to demonstrate!
“We will protest against the health pass, of course, but also against the vaccination obligation,” Sharon Rochetin continued, clarifying the group’s stance. “It is not against vaccination. In the demonstration, there will be people going who are vaccinated. We are for choice.”
 
 
Photo of the anti-health pass protest in Nice, by Monaco Life