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Day: 8 February 2022

Monaco’s Omicron wave continues to subside

by: Cassandra Tanti
08/02/2022
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The fifth wave of Covid-19 in Monaco appears to have reached its peak and is now subsiding, with figures showing circulation returning to levels seen at the end of December and dropping fast. But can it be maintained when students head back to school? 

The resurgence of the coronavirus in Monaco, brought on by the highly contagious Omicron variant, saw the number of positive cases skyrocket in the month of January, reaching its peak in the third week of the month when the incidence rate hit a staggering 2,157.

To put that into perspective, the incidence rate at the highest point in the 2021 summer wave was 276.

The latest figures from the health department show that from the week 31st January to 6th February, the incidence rate was down to 1,205, with a positive rate of 12.23% among 7,042 PCR and antigen tests conducted.

With the increase in new infections of the fifth wave came a rise in hospitalisations, with up to 90 Covid-positive patients filling the Princess Grace Hospital Centre at one point. However, that rise never translated to the ICU department, where the number of patients remained below the eight-bed limit.

But the Omicron wave has claimed nine victims since the start of the year. The residents were aged between 72 and 94.

The Prince’s government maintains that vaccination remains the best protection against severe illness from the virus. Monaco’s vaccination coverage has now reached 71% among the eligible population.

The new Novavax vaccine, which is expected to persuade vaccine holdouts, is not yet available in Monaco. But Monaco Life understands that the “sub-unit” Novavax shot, an alternative to the mRNA Pfizer and Moderna vaccines, is on its way and will likely make its debut from the end of February when France is expected to take delivery of the 1.2 million doses it has ordered.

Meanwhile, to prevent another resurgence of Covid-19 and keep Monaco on the path to recovery, the government is reintroducing its large-scale screening campaign in schools when classes restart on 21st February.

Several thousand self-tests will be made available to schools for students, subject to parental authorisation, as well as teachers. The self-tests are identical to those that were offered at the start of the school year in January, when 5,000 were taken voluntarily.

 

SEE ALSO: 

Inside Monaco’s Covid laboratory

 

 

Photo by Benedetta Pizzonia, Monaco Life

 

 

 

Monaco gets a new Irish bar

by: Stephanie Horsman
08/02/2022
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As the old saying goes, the Irish people are Ireland’s greatest exports. An intrepid bunch, they can be found all over the globe in a variety of occupations, but by far the most ubiquitous is in the Irish pub.

Almost any city in the world will offer at least one, and it is a haven of sorts for travellers who know they can count on a warm welcome, a good beer and hearty fare. Now Monaco is welcoming a new Irish pub that is perhaps a bit different than what the world has come to expect.

Trinity Irish Bar, the new pub, restaurant and cocktail bar, is opening its cocktail club on 9th February on Rue Du Portier and “will take the cocktail bar and Irish pub fusion to the next level”, say the developers.

The bar, formerly McCarthy’s, is split into two separate sections offering distinctly different feels.

The mountain-facing part is the pub with all the things patrons expect, such as rich dark wood interiors, a fully stocked bar, and food that is far above the usual pub-grub expectations. The sea-facing side houses a premium cocktail bar where guests will be given a signature cocktail menu of speciality drinks, some made exclusively at Trinity.

The new establishment has hired Head Chef Justine Piluso to oversee the food and has such interesting creations as a truffle grilled cheese sandwich made with cheddar, Munster and sbrinz. The full menu has not yet been made public, but if the Viennese menu is anything to go by, it will be a combination of traditional pub fare, such as burgers, bangers and mash and fish and chips, alongside some inspired dishes such a hearty Irish chowder, healthy salads and a delicious sounding dessert menu. 

The Monaco location is the second of what is eventually meant to be a chain. The first Trinity was opened in Vienna in June 2021, near the city’s famed Opera and the company website cites that “several more” are already in the works.

 

 

 

Monaco strengthens links with Dubai health authority

by: Cassandra Tanti
08/02/2022
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As part of his official visit to the Monaco Pavilion at the Dubai World Expo, Minister of Social Affairs and Health Didier Gamerdinger signed an agreement with the Dubai Health Authority.

Established in June 2007, the Dubai Health Authority’s mission includes providing strategic oversight of the entire health sector in Dubai and supporting private sector engagement.

The agreement with Monaco is intended to strengthen the links between the health structures of the two countries.

As a result of the partnership, Director of the Princess Grace Hospital Centre Benoîte de Sevelinges signed a protocol with the Vice Chancellor of Mohammed bin Rashid University of Medicine and Health Sciences.

It follows the formalisation of ties between the Monaco Economic Board and the Dubai Multi-Commodities Centre (DMCC) through the recent signing of a Memorandum of Understanding, designed to create more business opportunities between the two regions.

 

SEE ALSO:

Monaco businesses strengthen ties with Dubai through MEB

 

 

 

Germany’s KSB group signs on as OceanoScientific sponsor

by: Cassandra Tanti
08/02/2022

The OceanoScientific Expedition, headed by explorer navigator Yvan Griboval, has gained another supporter, this time the KSB group.

The OceanoScientific Expedition will see Yvan Griboval embark on a 10,200km journey from Toulon, France, to Antwerp, Belgium, via Monaco on the zero-emission catamaran ‘Love The Ocean’. He will be collecting physico-chemical data at the air-sea interface to assist scientists in studying the components of climate change and chemical and noise pollution.

Is also designed to raise young people’s awareness of sea trades by encouraging them to respect and love the ocean.

In signing the partnership, the KSB group was represented by Bruno Monjoint, Regional Executive Officer KSB Western Europe, and Boris Lombard, President of KSB SAS.

Founded in 1871, KSB is a German group established throughout the world that produces and markets pumps, industrial valves, fluid management systems and offers associated services. For 150 years, KSB has transported all types of fluids in the building, industry, water and energy sectors, on land and at sea.

“We are proud to embark on this ambitious expedition,” said Boris Lombard. “It involves combining oceanographic research and collective intelligence to raise our level of knowledge of the ocean today, in order to act more responsibly tomorrow.”

Dr. Stephan Timmermann, Chief Executive Officer of the KSB Group, added: “Combining ecology, economy and corporate culture is a central and essential subject for us in charting our path towards ecological transition. Investing in research and the acquisition of accessible data makes it possible to share the encouraging prospects of sustainable development with as many people as possible. This is also the responsibility of a major industrial brand like KSB.”

Director of OceanoScientific Expeditions Yvan Griboval thanked the KSB managers for their commitment, saying, “It is important to wear the colours of companies that put industrial technology at the service of the sustainable preservation of Nature’s resources.”

 

 

Photo from left to right: Boris Lombard, Yvan Griboval, Dr. Stephan Timmermann and Bruno Monjoint. 

 

 

 

Monaco Artists Forum looking for local talent

by: Stephanie Horsman
08/02/2022
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The Monaco Artists Forum, a visual artists exhibition, has put out a call for works of art made by residents of the Principality for their upcoming summer 2022 show.

The 6th Monaco Artists Forum is a government-sponsored event designed to promote “the integration of artists from the Principality into cultural policy”, according to the government.

Artists who have resided in Monaco five years or more are encouraged to submit their best artistic pieces for an exhibition at the Espace Léo Ferré this summer.

The format will give each artist the chance of being offered an exhibition area of two metres by two metres to show a pictural creation of their own making. Sculptors will be provided with a base.

Ahead of the event, a Public Prize will be awarded to a participating artist, having been chosen by the population. The candidate’s works will be available for viewing online on the event website and the winning work will have their own space during the exhibition, as well as being showcased by the organisers on social media and in other media.

To apply, artists must provide a completed application, a Monaco identity or residence card, a photo or paper print of their work, and a digital file in PDF or JPEG.

The event, which is being organised by the Department of Cultural Affairs, will be held on 2nd and 3rd July and will be open to the public from 11am to 7pm.

Artists who would like to be a part of the exhibit can collect an application form directly from the Department of Cultural Affairs at 4 Boulevard des Moulins, or visit their website and download it at https://service-public-particuliers.gouv.mc/Temps-libre/Culture/Activite-artistique/Participer-au-Forum-des-Artistes

Applications must be returned no later than 1st March to be considered.

 

 

 

Mahmood and Blanco are heading to Eurovision

by: Stephanie Horsman
08/02/2022

The San Remo Music Festival, the longest running annual televised music festival in the world, ended on Saturday night with Mahmood and Blanco being crowned as champions, sending them on to represent Italy at the Eurovision 2022 competition coming up in May.

Now considered something of a national treasure, the San Remo Music Festival has been in existence since January 1951 and was conceived of as a way to help revitalise Italy’s faltering economy after the effects of World War II.

The 2022 edition of the festival ended on Saturday 5th February with new winners and a peak audience of 16.3 million viewers according to Italian national public television network RAI. The average viewership during the entire five-day competition sat at 11 million live watchers, a huge coup for the event and the station.

The three finalists for the event were Elisa, Gianni Morandi and Mahmood and Blanco.

In the end, it was the duo of Mahmood and Blanco who stole the show, with their ballad BrividiI, which translates to Frission in English. The contemporary pop ballad will have legs as it travels to the Eurovision 2022 competition taking place in Turin, in their home country, on 14th May.

This will be Mahmood’s second trip to Eurovision, having performed for Italy in 2019 with his song Soldi, finishing second in Tel Aviv.

Elisa took second last week with her song O Forse sei tu, and Gianni Morandi took the bronze with Apri tutte le porte.

Fans of the long-running event were overjoyed at its return after last year’s forced cancellation due to the Covid pandemic. Hosted by Amadeus, the spectacle saw over 100 performances between competitors and guest acts, and the show often went late into the night.

Click here to watch the performance by Mahmood and Blanco.