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Day: 1 February 2022

Inside Monaco’s Covid laboratory

by: Cassandra Tanti
01/02/2022
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Up to a thousand Covid tests a day are analysed in Monaco’s high security laboratory, where scientists are not only looking for positive cases but are intensely searching for new variants, of which there were 1,000 this month.

The Scientific Centre of Monaco (CSM) is renowned in the study of corals and the fight against paediatric cancer, but early in the pandemic, the CSM took on another vital, more immediate role. It became the testing centre for coronavirus in the Principality. By November 2020, Prince Albert was inaugurating a new biosafety level-three laboratory, allowing scientists to analyse highly contagious viruses and pathogens, namely Covid-19.

“There are only around 2,500 laboratories like this in the world,” Dr Christian Lavagna tells me inside the high-security lab. “P3 is the protective level that allows scientists to work with very pathogenic viruses or bacteria.”

Last month, the lab processed 13,168 PCR tests, 34% of which were positive for Covid-19 – a new record for Monaco.

In mid-January, amid the height of the fifth wave, the scientific centre analysed up to 3,500 tests in one week, effectively around a third of the population of Monaco.

In addition to keeping the government informed of the circulation rate of Covid in the Principality, the small team of six is also charged with detecting variants.

“We used to analyse the samples with classic methodology, a manual technique called QPCR. Fortunately, we have the possibility now to analyse variants automatically, which is easier for us and allows us to make a lot of analyses in one day,” reveals Dr Lavagna.

“During the month of January, we analysed and detected more than 1,000 variants. In Monaco, 98% of cases are the Omicron variant. We have a few remaining Delta variant, but it’s only about 1% now.”

Dr Lavagna says the new variant making headlines, the BA.2 subvariant of Omicron, is undoubtedly working its way through the population, however so far, it is difficult to detect in this lab.

“The BA.2 subvariant is very similar in terms of mutation with the Omicron one. We need to develop some tools to detect it, and we don’t have those just yet,” he says.

According to a new Denmark study, the subvariant is more transmissible than the common BA.1 subvariant of Omicron, and BA.2 has quickly become the dominant strain in that country.

Within a matter of months, the CSM will be equipped with a new sequencing laboratory that will allow the team to sequence Covid and other pathogens, thereby detecting new subvariants like BA.2.

“It is important to continue monitoring the evolution of this virus,” says Dr Lavagna. “Here in Monaco, a lot of people are tested, more than in France. Many of these people want to be tested often just to verify how they are and also to verify their serological state. It is very important to verify the serological protection of Monaco because, if a new variant appears, we can know if people are protected with enough antibodies and will have a good response against that new variant.”

Click play on the Instagram below to go inside the Covid-19 CSM P3 laboratory with Monaco Life…

https://www.instagram.com/p/CZcHxs3slbG/?utm_medium=copy_link

 

Photo by Cassandra Tanti, Monaco Life

 

 

Monaco strengthens legislative arsenal against financial crime

by: Cassandra Tanti
01/02/2022
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The National Council has passed two bills aimed at combating financial crime in Monaco. Among them, a widening of the scope of justice to confiscate capital and sanction fraudulent virtual currency transfers.

The National Council voted unanimously on Monday 31st January on two bills submitted by the Government relating to the prevention and the fight against financial crime.

“These legislative developments testify to the Principality’s desire to continue to adapt its legislation to the best standards and international commitments in the fight against money laundering, terrorist financing and corruption,” said the government in a statement on Wednesday. “Under the impetus of the Sovereign Prince, the objective pursued by the Principality is, in particular, to maintain the Monegasque banking and financial centre at a high level of standards.”

The government says the bills were produced after discussions between itself and professionals, on the one hand, and between the government and the National Council, on the other.

“In line with the objective pursued by the Principality to strengthen its system in a complex and constantly changing field, exchanges, both at the institutional level and between the public and private sectors, are continuing, in particular within the framework of meetings of the Committee for the Coordination and Monitoring of the National Strategy to Combat Money Laundering, the Financing of Terrorism, the Proliferation of Weapons of Mass Destruction and Corruption, which will meet for the first time on 3rd February under the chairmanship of the Minister of State, Pierre Dartout,” said the government.

The new mechanism voted Monday evening reinforces the capacity of justice to confiscate capital that it finds to be fraudulent in origin. It also widens the scope of application of offences relating to payment instruments, insofar as it can sanction a fraudulent transfer, not only money or monetary in value, but also virtual currency.

The legislation also specifies some of the obligations that are incumbent on professionals subject to the fight against money laundering, particularly in the presence of atypical transactions.

Meanwhile, “the list of subject professionals has been supplemented following the conclusions of the National Risk Assessment (ENR2), with the aim of finding the right balance between the efficient apprehension of risks and the preservation of the attractiveness of Monaco,” added the government.

 

Photo source: National Council of Monaco

 

 

 

January was a record-breaking month for sunshine

by: Stephanie Horsman
01/02/2022
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With over 210 hours of sun racked up in January alone, Monaco and the neighbouring Alpes-Maritimes region beat the previous sunny days record set back in 2005.

People have flocked to the Côte d’Azur and Monaco in winter since the late 18th century when the benefits of sea air, warmer temperatures and abundant sunshine lured the British upper classes to the region in droves.

Times have changed, and “wintering” isn’t a pastime many can any longer afford, but the draws of the region are still intact. The winters remain mild and sunny, though some are sunnier than others.

As it stands, the first month of 2022 has spawned the record of being the sunniest yet documented. This January beat the old record, set in 2005, with an amazing 213 hours of sun.

The average sunshine hours racked up for January sit at 157, so 2022’s record has surpassed this mark significantly. Since 2000, only two years have gone beyond the 200-hour mark, those being the previous record-holding year and this one.

All this sunshine is wonderful for morale, but not so good for water catchment basins. The month of January had a paltry two hours of rain, one of the lowest recorded averages since the start of the millennia, with 11.3mm falling on 5th January. This leaves rainfall totals way below the normal monthly average of 67mm but sets no record for being lowest. This particularly dry January had more rain than in 2017, which saw 10.8mm, while 2005 had only 5mm, and 2000 had 7.9mm for the month.

Temperatures stayed in the normal range despite all the sun. The coldest day was 8th January, with a minimum temp of 3.4ºC, and the warmest day was 5th January, which saw a balmy 22.5ºC. The average January temperatures for the region are 9ºC.

With all the winter sun, its little surprise that the city of Nice has come first in a ranking of the best cities in the Alpes Maritimes for “quality of life” for the second year running, according to newspaper Le Journal de Dimanche, which does a yearly list.

The capital city of the French Riviera is ranked 7th nationally for cities over 2,000 inhabitants, beating out Cannes in the region, who came in second, and Antibes, who took the bronze. When expanding to cities of over 200,000, Nice ranks at the top of the list, also for the second year in a row.

“The City of Nice remains this year once again the 1st of the largest cities in France in  Le Journal de Dimanche 2022 ranking of the cities where people live best. We will relentlessly pursue our efforts to improve the quality of life of the people of Nice,” said proud Mayor Christian Estrosi after the announcement on his Twitter feed.

The coastal village of Theoule-sur-Mer took the top spot for villages in the Alpes Maritimes, ahead of Falicon and Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat, who came in second and third respectively.

The ranking is based on 187 criteria such as services, shops, security, transport, health care, education, solidarity, leisure and sport, whilst even delving a bit deeper to look at things like unemployment and life expectancy.

Nice’s national and region standings have set the city apart as one of the most attractive in France.

 

 

Photo of Nice by Cassandra Tanti, Monaco Life

 

 

 

Imminent launch for new Monaco-themed hot air balloon

by: Stephanie Horsman
01/02/2022
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The Monaco Aeronauts Club, headed by President Alain Cruteanschii, has announced the dates for the completion of its latest hot air balloon, which will not only be environmentally friendly but will sport the colours of the Principality.   

The Monaco Aeronaut’s Club has spent years working on ways to practice the sport they love whilst having a care for the planet. This year, their dream will become a reality as they launch a new balloon that meets ecological standards using the newest technologies.

The Monaco-themed balloon has been in the planning stages at the Catalonia-based offices of Ultramagic, located 40 minutes outside of Barcelona. Ultramagic has been charged with the design, with production set to begin in May and delivery as early as the end of June.

This is the Club’s second eco-balloon launch, the first being in 2018 when there was a dramatic lift off from the Place du Palais.

Prince Albert II has been a huge supporter of the project, despite his government’s reluctance to fund the building of the balloon.

“Many people were sceptical,” says Alain Cruteanschi. “We were unable to convince the government to give us a grant to design this hot air balloon in the colours of Monaco. But we were able to count on the support of the Marzocco group, which finances 100%.”

The science behind the new balloon is being refined, and the club is aiming to make their pastime an active laboratory for studies on energy consumption. It even has invested in a hybrid vehicle to transport the balloon and in a lightweight trailer to lessen energy consumption.

“Our ecological balloon will convey a simple and applicable message in many areas of daily life,” said the President of the Aeronaut’s Club, “saving energy by insulating and thus limiting heat loss, it is a simple principle but so effective. We will serve as a laboratory and test many techniques and publish the results of our research.”

The first big event that the Monaco balloon is expected to be at is the European Balloon Flying Festival in Barcelona in mid-July, but it will by no means be the last.

“We have lots of projects with it, such as crossing the Channel or flying over Mont-Blanc,” said Cruteanschii. Additionally, a Monaco balloon competition bearing the Prince’s name is in the works with a first edition scheduled for spring 2023.

Meanwhile, the club will carry on with the usual activities such as training pilots and giving people inaugural flights on their aircraft from their base in Mondovi, Italy, less than two hours from Monaco.

 

 

 

Another overtime, another defeat for Roca Team

by: Luke Entwistle
01/02/2022
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For the second time in two days, AS Monaco Basketball succumbed to an agonising overtime defeat against a table-topping side, this time falling to Betclic Elite leaders Boulogne-Levallois on Sunday 106-115.

Having displayed an impressive level of defensive fortitude in recent weeks, Monaco were torn open time-after-time against the Parisian side. On Friday, the Roca team limited European champions Real Madrid to just 66 points across the four-quarters, but by the mid-way point on Sunday, they had already conceded 60.

Sasa Obradovic didn’t hold back in his criticism of the defensive effort post-match, saying, “It’s shameful to lose in this way, it’s contemptible, both to our work and to the public. We can’t be respected if we accept that. I was shaken.”

Although their defence was porous, their attacking combinations were at least well worked. The free-scoring Mike James (23 points), and Friday night’s top-scorer Dwayne Bacon (22 points), allowed Monaco to keep pace with their opposition.

A lion’s share of the damage was inflicted by the unstoppable Will Cummings, who registered 35 points and 10 assists on the evening, a 7-point scoring-run allowing his side to create a gap in the first quarter.

Yakub Outtara (12 points) stepped up in the second-quarter, decreasing the deficit, before an 11-point scoring streak at the back end of the second-quarter undid all of their good work, leaving Monaco with a mountain to climb (50-60).

Monaco, however, successfully reversed the trend in the second-half. A 12-point scoring streak at the start of the third-quarter brought the chasing Monaco back into contention. Momentum was with the Principality side, and their efforts brought them back level with seconds on the clock.

Neither side could land the winning hoop, and spectators at the Salle Gaston Medecin were treated to a second overtime in as many days. Whereas the overtime against Real Madrid was a cagey, tight, low-scoring affair, this one was anything but.

Cummings came back to the fore once again, blowing Monaco away in the opening stages, dealing a blow from which the Principality side could not recover. The match was over as a contest before the final buzzer, Boulogne-Levallois coming out comfortable victors after overtime (106-115).

Obradovic, perplexed by their defensive showing, couldn’t account for their overall inferiority. “What did we lack? You’ll have to ask each one of them. It’s not by luck that Boulogne are first.” The exasperated Serbian coach continued, “It’s a lesson for everyone, for all the players. But how many lessons do we need?

Obradovic will hope that it will be his side teaching the lessons on Tuesday as his side travels to Greece for a difficult Euroleague match against Panathinaikos.

 

 

Photo source: AS Monaco Basketball