Day: 28 December 2021

As part of renewed efforts to limit the spread of Covid in Monaco, the government is equipping every student with a free self-test upon their return to school on Monday, while employers will also be able to purchase cheap tests for their employees.  
The government made the announcement on Monday while revealing the latest round of measures to curb the spread of Covid in the Principality.
As of Monday 3^rd January, each student will find on their desk a Covid test which can be self-administered.
By the start of the school year, each parent will receive a message from the Department of National Education, Youth and Sports informing them of how to use the test, which is free, voluntary and easy to use.
The rapid nasal test is recommended by pediatricians and utilises a small sponge that is inserted at the entrance of the nostrils.
Teachers will also be informed of how to use the tests.
The government is also making 50,000 self-tests available to business owners who wish to order them, at a subsidised rate, for their employers.
The aim is to detect and treat Covid-positive people as quickly as possible to break the chain of contamination.
Meanwhile, from 10th January, the mandatory health pass will be extended to a number of other sectors that involve close contact with the public, including hairdressers, tattoo parlours and sports halls. Staff and customers of these activities must provide a valid health pass.
 
 
Photo source: Manuel Vitali, Communication Department
 
 
 

As electric scooters gain in popularity throughout the Principality, the government will from late January enforce a new law requiring the wearing of helmets for all ages.

Electric scooters are an eco-friendly and convenient way to get around and since February 2020, they’ve been free to circulate on the roads, bike and bus lanes of the Principality.

But experience has shown they are not always the safest.

Scooters are not widely visible to other vehicles, despite the various precautionary equipment used. Retro-reflective clothing and equipment, horns, lights and reflective devices only work so well, and leave e-scooter users vulnerable if they are not seen by drivers of other modes of transport.

A 2020 study by the Journal of American Medicine Surgery found that nearly one-third of all electric scooter riders not wearing helmets suffered from head injuries, double that of cyclists. Injuries that sent riders to hospital went up 365% from 2014 to 2018, with the last year seeing the most dramatic rise.

Initially, it was required in Monaco that those under the age of 18 wear a helmet, whilst adults could decide for themselves.

Now, the government has put in place a new rule from 24^th January that requires all e-scooter users, regardless of age, to wear a helmet.

In conjunction, Monaco has also launched an information campaign to remind people of the rules for a variety of alternative transport modes, including bicycles, skateboards, rollerblades, roller skates, single wheeled devices, traditional scooters, hoverboards, Segways and electric scooters.

 
 
Photo by Gotrax on Unsplash
 
 
 

France has ordered its citizens to return to working from home as much as possible from Monday in an effort to curb the spread of the Omicron variant of the Covid virus, however schools will remain open.
Depending on perspective, the New Year will be bringing good or bad news for workers in France, as Prime Minister Jean Castex announced on Monday evening that there will be a return to telecommuting where possible from 3^rd January.
The Prime Minister said that “from the beginning of the school year, the use of teleworking will be mandatory in all companies and for all employees for as many days as possible, a minimum of three days and if possible four days a week.”
A recent survey by Harris Interactive indicates that 60% of employees can work from home with ease.
For those who must return to the workplace, the usual list of measures apply including social distancing, hand washing and face mask wearing.
Castex also announced that for the next three weeks there will be limits of 2,000 people for indoor venues and 5,000 people for outdoor events. Reserved seating is required. Eating or drinking at cinemas, sporting events and on public transportation has also been banned for this period. Additionally, nightclubs will also be closed.
The government insists that schools will not be affected during this period and that children are able to return to classes as scheduled on 3^rd January. Monaco has joined the French in saying that schools will not close in the Principality.
Meanwhile, the government has not imposed any major restrictions on New Year’s Eve festivities, though they are asking that big parties and dinners “be limited”.
The new measures come as officials have warned that hospitals in France again risk being overwhelmed after a record 100,000 cases were reported Saturday, the highest daily level in France since the pandemic began nearly two years ago.