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Day: 23 November 2021

Incidence rate hits 198 in Monaco

by: Cassandra Tanti
23/11/2021

For the second week running, the circulation of Covid-19 in Monaco has doubled. Meanwhile, the EU has just approved the first Covid treatment pill.
In its weekly communication of the Principality’s Covid screening campaign, the government on Monday revealed that 3.58% of the 3,487 PCR and antigen tests conducted over the previous seven days were positive.
The incidence rate therefore had increased significantly, jumping from 107 to 198. At the beginning of November, the incidence rate was 55.
On Tuesday, the number of confirmed Covid cases in Monaco had jumped to 45, the highest in months. There are now nine Covid patients being treated in the Princess Grace Hospital Centre, three of whom are residents of Monaco. In addition, two patients – both non resident – are in ICU.
In an effort to limit the effects of the virus, the Monaco government has made a third dose of the Covid vaccine available to any citizen or resident aged 18 years and over who was given their second dose more than six months ago.
In the neighbouring French department of the Alpes-Maritimes, there has also been a significant rise in circulation, and the incidence rate now sits at 224 compared to 60 at the beginning of November. Mayor of Nice Christian Estrosi on Monday said that the situation was deteriorating rapidly and that from 1st December, a third dose of the vaccine will be made available to all over the age of 12, provided there is enough supply of the vaccine.
In Italy on the other side of the border, the health situation has also worsened, particularly in the north-east. Local governments are now pushing for new measures, primarily in the form of further restrictions on the unvaccinated under a so-called “super green pass” scheme. Meanwhile, the health minister has confirmed that the Covid-19 vaccine boosters will be available five months after the first vaccine cycle – one month earlier – for eligible groups.
The first anti-Covid pill available in the EU
As the number of contaminations and deaths continues to rise in Europe under the effect of the fifth wave, the European Union has just authorised the use of an anti-Covid pill. The emergency-use pill from Merck was approved by the European Medicines Agency (EMA) on 19th November. The drug, which data shows reduces the risk of hospitalisation and death in at-risk patients, “can be used to treat vulnerable adults with Covid-19 who do not need supplemental oxygen”, detailed the EMA in a press release.
While the drug has not yet received full marketing authorisation, the European regulator has issued the opinion in order to “support the national authorities who may decide on a possible anticipated use of the drug before the marketing authorisation, for example in emergency situations.”
France has already ordered 50,000 doses, France’s Health Minister Olivier Véran told the Senate on 26th October.
 
 
Photo by Mark de Jong on Unsplash
 
 

Monaco boosts solar capabilities with new parks

by: Stephanie Horsman
23/11/2021

Monaco Renewable Energy has announced the acquisition of five new photovoltaic parks which will cover about 12% of the Principality’s electricity consumption.
Since the government began plans to transition to cleaner energy and achieve energy autonomy by 2025, it has been implementing a mix of technologies including wind, water and solar to power the country.
It resulted in the creation of a new organisation, Monaco Renewable Energy (MER), a joint effort between the government and the Société Monégasque de l’Electricité et du Gaz (SMEG).
“In accordance with this objective, the company has just acquired five additional photovoltaic parks with a production capacity of 53MWpeak,” said Samy Touati, President of MER, in a statement. “Located in the Côte d´Or, Haute Vienne, Landes and Gard, they generate a total production of 65,000 MWh per year, or around 12% of the electricity consumption of the Principality of Monaco.”
These new additions will bring the total number of solar parks under MER’s credit to 15 by the end of this year.
This latest operation will increase the overall power of the Monaco Renewable Energy plants to 128 MWpeak, made up of 106 MW photovoltaic and 22 MW wind, together producing 184 GWh per year, equalling 34% of Monaco’s energy consumption.
“Every step forward by MER is a source of great pride for the SMEG teams who bring their expertise in the renewable energy sector, identify the best development opportunities and ensure the best possible operating returns,” said
Thomas Battaglione, Managing Director of SMEG and MER.
Samy Touati, added, “We invest in power plants regardless of their stage of development, from the start of operation of units ready to produce until the full development of projects. This strategy allows us to accelerate the constitution of our production fleet while creating new capacities. The impact of these goes beyond the energy issue alone and is part of the environmental rehabilitation of the land used.”
Due to the vast number of sunny days in the Principality, photovoltaic panels are found on several building roofs in Monaco as well as the larger scale MER projects. Many schools, such as École du Parc and the Lycée Technique et Hôtelier, are equipped with such panels, for example.
They are also found on residential buildings, such as Hélios and Jardins d’Apolline, and on office buildings like the SBM Offshore building in Fontvieille. All these panels produce electricity which is consumed by the building to meet its basic energy needs such as lighting.
There are also solar thermal panels on the outside of the Ecole St Charles building. These heat the water for the swimming pool. The Annonciade complex was fitted out with solar thermal panels in 2008, as well, to heat and maintain the temperature of the water in the swimming pool.
 
Photo source: Monaco Renewable Energy
 
 
 
 

Popular restaurants ordered to close for non-compliance

by: Stephanie Horsman
23/11/2021

Seven of Monaco’s most well-known restaurants have been temporarily closed for not adhering to the strict mandatory mask rule for employees.

As Covid numbers in the Principality continue to rise, police are out in force to make sure Monaco’s restaurants are following the latest health and safety rules.

In the Journal of Monaco dated 19th November, seven eating establishments were recorded to have been placed under provisional administrative closure orders of either four or seven days. This is the greatest number of closures the public security forces have made in a single sweep since the start of the pandemic.

The seven restaurants involved are Puchinella, Quai des Artistes, Le Neptune, Stars ‘n’ bars, Le Before, Le Cova and the restaurant located at the Club 39 sports hall on Avenue Princesse Grace.

Their primary infraction was a failure to respect the wearing of masks in the kitchen or whilst serving customers. The government’s position on this is quite clear: “Breaches, specifically on the ministerial orders, which constitute a serious and characterized disregard of the regulatory provisions enacted in the fight against the Covid-19 epidemic, cannot be permissible in the current state of health.”

Six of the restaurants have already reportedly been subject to warnings, and in some cases other temporary closures, from officials during previous checks.

 
 
 
 
 
 

New French law bans wild animals from circuses

by: Stephanie Horsman
23/11/2021

The French Parliament has just passed a law banning wild animals from circuses. Though a major step, some animal rights activists think the rule doesn’t go far enough.

The days of the lion-tamer and dancing bears at the circus are numbered in France. A new bill passed last Thursday will prohibit performances involving bears, tigers and lions within two years. Additionally, owning such animals will be against the law in seven years’ time.

The legislation has also made mink farming and live dolphin shows illegal and will force the closure of the nation’s sole remaining mink fur producer, according to Agence France-Presse.

The news was applauded as “an historic step in the animal rights combat” by the centrist Republic on the Move party and given the thumbs up by celebrity animal advocate Brigitte Bardot, but it has not satisfied everyone. Circus owners, in particular, are up in arms over the ruling whilst some activists say it doesn’t go far enough.

The bill puts harsh restrictions on domestic animal sales as well as strong penalties for animal abuse, with those falling afoul looking at up to five years in prison and an €85,000 fine.

Loïc Dombreval, a veterinarian from the Alpes-Maritimes who co-sponsored the bill, was delighted with the result, tweeting, “Victory for our animal friends! The National Assembly adopted the bill against animal abuse unanimously minus one vote. Thank you from the bottom of my heart to all MPs of all political parties. It’s a fact: animals bring us together.”

Monaco’s Princess Stephanie sounded off in a recent article with Monaco Matin about what was then the upcoming vote on the legislation. She was overjoyed with many of the aspects of the bill but opposed the parts pertaining to the circus.

“Many believe that wild animals were taken from the wild. Not at all, it has been banned since 1950,” she said. “They were born in circuses, were bottle-fed, are loved, pampered. Of course, people shouldn’t have it if they don’t have the structure, the personnel, or the qualifications, and I say that when I defend the circus. But why punish those who do their job well and only know how to do that? Should they go to Pôle Emploi? They don’t take vacations, their whole life is devoted to animals. To take them away from them is cruel. To put them back in cages, but elsewhere? Or to euthanize them? Animalists say that these beasts would be better off dead. It’s extreme.

“The traditional circus, which started with horses, is part of our culture. It allows children in remote corners of France to discover animals they would never see otherwise. And then, a beast who has only known human contact, is it okay to let him die on his own, of grief? I am trying to ensure that there are regulations at European level on the size of cages or on transport conditions.”

The bill is now in the hands of President Emmanuel Macron to be officially signed into law.

 
 
Photo by Becky Phan on Unsplash
 
 

Shout out for gently used shoes and accessories  

by: Stephanie Horsman
23/11/2021

The Monaco Mairie is collecting unwanted shoes and a selection of other everyday accessories to be donated as part of European Waste Reduction Week.  

Sneakers, scarves, hats, gloves and backpacks… these are the items the Town Hall is looking for in their latest round of collections, that not only go toward reducing the amount of landfill but also benefits a worthy cause.  

Marjorie Crovetto, Deputy Mayor in charge of the Living Environment, Environment and Sustainable Development, has been organising similar events since 2018 with the Mairie and Monaco Durable Development (MC2D) as part of their ongoing operation ‘Monaco Against Waste’ (MEG).

This year, as part of European Waste Reduction Week, the efforts continue with a collection of sneakers, backpacks and cold weather accessories, just in time for the winter. The donations will then be dispersed by local association Semeurs d’Espoir Monaco.

MEG operations take place throughout the year and collect a variety of items. In this case, it is shoes and accessories, other times it is small household appliances or clothes. The fight even goes into avoiding food wastage, offering ideas on how to use left-overs in interesting ways.

The collection centre will be set up under the arcades in the Condamine Market on Thursday 25th and Friday 26th November from 9:30am to 12:30pm.

All items must be clean and in good shape. The organisers ask, to reduce confusion, that any shoes handed in be tied together at the laces. Labelled boxes will be set up to deposit each of the different items accordingly.

 
 
Photo source: Mairie de Monaco