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Day: 25 November 2021

France extends Covid booster shot to all adults

by: Cassandra Tanti
25/11/2021

France will make Covid-19 booster jabs available to all adults from this Saturday, Health Minister Olivier Véran announced on Thursday, ruling out curfews and lockdowns to curb a fifth wave of infections. 
Veran told a press conference in Paris “We still have fate in our hands”, although he warned that the fifth wave of infections “will be longer and tougher” than the fourth.
He said the government would make a third dose of the vaccine available to all people aged 18 or above as of Saturday, adding that France had sufficient supplies of vaccines.
From 15th January, booster shots will become a requirement for a valid health pass.
The minister said health regulators will examine whether or not children aged five to 11 should have the Covid-19 vaccine, though he said no decision will be made before 2022.
Monaco made third dose vaccines available to all adults in early November.
The number of infections is doubling every 11 days in France but officials said there was no need to follow European countries such as Austria that have reimposed lockdowns.

Putting more pressure on people not yet vaccinated, Veran also said PCR tests would only be valid for one day – instead of 72 hours currently.

France’s health minister said at this stage he doesn’t foresee imposing either a lockdown or a curfew.

Meanwhile, Italy has imposed new restrictions on the unvaccinated, sharply limiting their access to public venues. From 6th December, unvaccinated people in the country will not be able to enter cinemas, restaurants and sports events, as announced by Prime Minister Mario Draghi late on Wednesday.

Only those holding the “super green pass” (proof of full vaccination rather than a negative test or proof of recent recovery from the virus) will be able to enter many indoor spaces.
“We are seeing the situation in bordering countries is very serious and we also see that the situation in Italy is gradually but constantly getting worse,” Draghi told reporters.
“We want to be very prudent to try to safeguard what Italians have achieved in the last year.”
 
 

SEE ALSO:

Monaco makes third shot available for everyone over 18

Photo by Mufid Majnun on Unsplash

Ode to Princess Charlene in tree planting ceremony

by: Stephanie Horsman
25/11/2021

To commemorate the 100th anniversary of the Soroptimist Club, comprised of professional women around the globe, Prince Albert and the twins this week planted a South African jacaranda on the Casino Terraces.

The Soroptimist Club has only been in existence in the Principality for 42 years, but the club itself spans a century, with its first meeting held in 1921.

As a way of celebrating this milestone, the club invited Prince Albert II along with Hereditary Prince Jacques and Princess Gabriella, their schoolmates and a CE1 class from Saint Charles School, to meet on the Terraces of the Casino on Wednesday 24th November to plant a special tree.

The chosen tree was symbolic in itself, a South African jacaranda, which was a nice homage to the roots of the absent Princess Charlene, the twins’ mother. 

Photo by Michael Alesi, Government Communication Department

The Soroptimist Club was founded in the United States and has a long history with trees, their first action back in 1921 being a drive to save a redwood forest led by then president of the club, Violet Richardson.

In Monaco, the club was founded in 1978 and has been very active. It is the originator of the Handiplage project at Larvotto, which allows people with reduced mobility to safely use the beach, the Jeune J’ecoute program, and also provided “support for Madame Claude Pompidou at the time against Alzheimer’s disease, but also for Professor Luc Montagné for research in the fight against AIDS,” said the current President, Yveline Garnier, who heads up the team of roughly 20 women.

Today, the club boasts a membership of 72,000 women in 121 nations. They advocate for human rights and gender equality and have a strong presence in the United Nations where they represent girls and women the world over. Their work is mainly grassroots, and the aim is to empower women in their communities.

 

 
Photo by Michael Alesi, Government Communication Department 
 
 
 

Monaco councillors vote 'yes' to limiting nationality rights

by: Cassandra Tanti
25/11/2021

The National Council has voted in favour of a bill that extends the right to Monegasque nationality by marriage from 10 to 20 years, a move which is designed to protect the Principality’s social model.  
In his closing address to the Assembly on Wednesday night, National Council President Stephane Valéri said debate on the subject of Monegasque nationality was “both important for our community and sensitive for each and every one of us.”
Valéri said that bill n° 1038 was drafted after a “very broad” consultation with representatives of the community including leaders of associations and political groups such as ‘Primo! Priorité Monaco’ and the Monaco Youth Association. He cited a study by IMSEE that predicted the number of Monegasque nationals would grow by 5,100 in the next 50 years, putting Monaco’s generous social system in jeopardy.
“Let us all be aware of the opportunity, the rights and the advantages that Monegasque nationality confers on those who benefit from it today: low-rent state housing, national housing assistance, priority of employment, priority to professional installation, restricted access for certain regulated professions, very favorable study grants, birth bonuses, support for the most vulnerable among us, and this list is of course not exhaustive,” said the National Council President.
“This exceptional social model, as we know, is envied all over Europe and the world. It was built by the wisdom of our Princes and always supported by the elected representatives of the Monegasques during the successive terms of office of the National Council. It is a precious asset that we must preserve for future generations.”
In 2020, there were 9,753 Monegasque citizens out of a population of around 38,000. According to 2016 figures, 9,300 French people called Monaco home, compared to 8,200 Italians, and 2,795 British.
The last time the law was changed was in 2011 when nationality by marriage rights were extended from five to 10 years.
“20 years is symbolically the time of a generation to fully integrate into our community, to share our identity, our culture and our attachment to the Sovereign Prince and the Princely Family,” concluded the National Council President.
The bill to extend Monegasque nationality rights by marriage from 10 to 20 years was therefore was passed with 16 for, two against, and three abstentions.
In voting against the bill, Pierre Van Klaveren said: “Will we be more likely to be Monegasques, respectful of our culture and history after 20 years rather than 10 years of marriage? I don’t believe so.
“… If we had trusted each other, we could have undoubtedly found new solutions to our problems without having to go through the vote of a text that is in no way the best response to maintaining our social model.”
The bill will now go to the government who will decide whether to vote it into law.
 
 
 

CTTR ceases at start of 2022

by: Cassandra Tanti
25/11/2021

The government on Thursday announced that it will be suspending the temporary unemployment scheme (CTTR) from 31st December this year.
As the pandemic took hold in March 2020, the Prince’s government implemented a series of measures to support local companies and preserve jobs in the Principality, including the temporary unemployment scheme Chômage Total Temporaire Renforcé (CTTR).
At the peak of the crisis, up to 22,500 employees per month were supported by the scheme, while 2,650 employers in the Principality were relieved of their wage and social responsibilities.
It has cost the Monegasque State more than €141.4 million to date.
On Thursday, while acknowledging that some sectors are still yet to return to pre-pandemic activity, the government announced that Monaco’s economic recovery has been achieved and, in agreement with the Council National, it will suspend the CTTR at the end of this year.
“This scheme, designed to be temporary and exceptional, was an emergency measure
that was not intended to last over time,” said the government in a statement.
However, it “could be quickly reactivated if the government were faced with the need to suspend certain sectors of activity for reasons relating to the health situation.”
The government says that “It is up to companies to continue to adapt to the new
economic context”, while it will continue to provide assistance through the Principality’s Economic Recovery Plan, which has mobilised €80.8 million euros since its implementation.
 
 
Photo by Melody Temple on Unsplash 
 
 
 

Simplifying net zero

by: Stephanie Horsman
25/11/2021

A free seminar is being held on 3rd December to help businesses understand how to reduce their carbon footprint, something that will eventually become a requirement for all.
Carbon Clarity Monaco is an organisation dedicated to creating a sustainable future for consumers and businesses.
In an effort to share its expertise and help businesses make sense of the requirements, practicalities and possibilities around the new reporting rules dictated at COP26 and by other legislative bodies on how to become zero-emission, it is organising its first information seminar in Monaco.
“What was once a voluntary market is soon to be a regulated necessity for each and every business in the EU and UK,” says Paul Coleman, CEO of Carbon Clarity. “These steps are currently filled with technical jargon and for those that are not qualified in the sector of sustainability, the process will present itself as a list of daunting tasks. Carbon Clarity cuts through the jargon to deliver simple step by step projects on the journey to net zero.”
The free seminar will last an hour and a half and will cover relevant topics such as how to take the first steps in carbon auditing, strategic reduction and offsetting, how businesses can become more efficient whilst benefiting our environment, the difference between carbon offsetting and insetting, and the situation with the current global landscape.
The meeting will also address the latest labyrinth of legislation from the national, European and international levels as well as the risks and opportunities presented by going green.
The inaugural seminar will take place at the Novotel Hotel at 10am on Friday 3rd December and organisations, VCs, Family Offices, businesses and individuals are invited to attend.
To register, email: workshop@carbonclarity.org
 
Photo by Elissa Garcia on Unsplash