The World Health Organisation (WHO) has identified the ‘Eris’ Covid strain a variant of interest as cases rise globally. Here’s what we know.
Known as EG.5 or Eris, it is a relative of the Omicron subvariant that made its rounds in 2022 and is has been detected worldwide including in China, the United States, the UK as well as in France, where there’s been an estimated 35% of new cases of this strain, according to the French Public Health Department (Santé Publique).
LOW RISK BUT MORE CASES
Whilst the WHO has judged the health risk as low, there have been jumps in the number of new Covid cases in France as well as a 26% rise in hospitalisations across all age groups of people suspected to have the Covid virus. The French levels are consistent with those being seen in the US and UK.
“Based on the available evidence, the public health risk posed by EG.5 is evaluated as low at the global level,” WHO said. “While EG.5 has shown increased prevalence, growth advantage, and immune escape properties, there have been no reported changes in disease severity to date.”
Scientists are saying that Eris seems to have a talent for evading antibodies, which has allowed it to proliferate. The timing is not ideal, as in a few weeks, people will be back to school and work after holidays and travel, the latter of which helps spread the disease faster.
Even so, as the risks are no higher, health care workers, who say the emergence of a new variant was no surprise, are just asking people to be careful and practice safety methods such as hand washing to help keep the virus from spreading as much as possible. They also stress that vaccinations are the best defence against this and future variants, and that people should consider boosters when they are available.
Looking for a beach to swim with Fido in the busy summer months? Here is what’s available in the region.
They aren’t called the dog days of summer for nothing. The extreme heat of the season affects everyone, including our four-legged friends who like a good cooling off like the rest of us.
One way to beat the heat is to take a nice cooling dip in the sea. The Alpes-Maritimes and the Var have several spots, all found on a website compiled just for them, that allow dogs to join in the fun. There are 37 in the Alpes-Maritimes and 15 in the Var, giving quite a bit of choice.
ALPES-MARITIMES
Hands down the most generous in the region for dog-friendly beaches is the Alpes-Maritimes, with a choice of seaside spots from Menton to Villeneuve-Loubet on the mainland, as well as a whopping 28 on the Îles de Lérins, there is no shortage of splashing sites welcoming pets.
There are four super close to Monaco. Menton has two. One is just after the Garavan port at the city limits with Italy and the other is at Casino Beach where a designated area for dogs has been established. There is also Piscine Beach in Roquebrune-Cap-Martin and Douaniers Beach in Cap d’Ail.
A little further down the coast in Villefranche-sue-Mer is Ange Gardien Beach (pictured above), Lanterne Beach in Nice near the airport, Hippodrome Beach in Cagnes-sur-Mer, Saint-Laurent-du-Var’s Port Beach and Vaugrenier Beach in Villeneuve-Loubet.
On the Îles de Lérins, Saint-Honroat has 10 places for pooches, and the Sainte-Marguerite has 18.
Tolerance is shown off-season in Beaulieu sur Mer and Théoule sur Mer.
VAR
The Var has a fair share as well, starting with Saint-Aygulf’s Esclamandes Beach, then La Gaillarde Beach in Les Issambres, Bonnegrace Beace in Six-Fours-les-PLages, Bregancon Beach in Bormes-les-Mimosas, the aptly named Dogs Beach in La Londe and in Bandol, Saint-Cyr-sur-Mer’s Port d’Alon Cove. The department’s undisputed winner for dog-friendly beaches is Ramatuelle, which boasts eight in all, though they enforce strict leash laws.
As with many of these swimming spots, people shouldn’t expect white sandy beaches… these are primarily rocky outcroppings or small pebbled beaches, but they’re still lovely areas and they are designated to ensure the comfort of all, so they won’t be filled with tourists and they won’t have people complaining about any inconveniences, so both you and your dog can frolic without fear of retribution!
Monaco has met another key international standard in the fight against money laundering, this time with an agreement that will unite the Attorney General, the Director of Public Security and SICCFIN.
The Prince’s Government announced on Friday 11th August that a tripartite agreement on cooperation, coordination and exchange of information in the fields of money laundering, the financing of terrorism and the financing of the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction has been entered into by Monaco’s Attorney General – the main legal advisor to the government, the Director of Public Security, and SICCFIN (Service d’Information et de Contrôle sur les Circuits Financiers).
The agreement responds to the FATF (Financial Action Task Force) Recommendation No. 2 adopted in 2013, which states that countries should have national policies which ensure that policy-makers, the financial intelligence unit (FIU), law enforcement authorities, supervisors and other relevant competent authorities have effective mechanisms in place which enable them to cooperate and exchange information with each other concerning the development and implementation of policies and activities to combat money laundering, terrorist financing and the financing of proliferation of weapons of mass destruction.
According to the government, “The agreement, by evoking the rights and obligations of the three signatory authorities, defines in a very practical and concrete way the relationships that they must maintain between them in order to promote and strengthen the exchange of information.”
The government says the move will consecrate current good practices between the authorities, particularly in the urgent processing of certain communications andrequests and by setting deadlines for response, as well as helping to identify trends and patterns of money laundering in the Principality.
“This shared analysis will therefore allow a better apprehension of the risk and optimise the criminal response provided by the authorities investigation and prosecution,” concluded the government.
The Sheba Medical Centre Gala at the Hotel Hermitage was a massive success, with the facility raising more than half a million euros for the Middle East’s largest hospital treating sick children and refugees.
Known locally as the Hospital of Peace, the Sheba Medical Centre in Ramat Gan, Israel, is known for its colour, religion and nationality-blind approach to care in a region where these things are touchy, and often dangerous, topics.
The facility, which also offers care to many of the region’s sick children free of charge, relies on donations to be able to keep the wheels turning.
GALA EVENT
To facilitate the continued efforts, Dr Arnon Afek, Deputy Director General of the Sheba Medical Centre, along with Dorit and Marc Assaraf and Dr Yana and Dr Karl Hauptmann, co-sponsors of the evening, hosted 160 guests including celebrities, people from the worlds of art and society, as well as international business leaders to a gala event at the Hôtel Hermitage on 3rd August.
Dany Michalski, Anna Maria Kaufmann, Kriemhild Siegel, Ulrich Graf and Katrin Countess Goëss-Enzenberg, Stefan Dimitri Prince Strudza, and Helen Countess Selikowitz Modini were amongst the guests who helped make the evening a hit, with donations topping out at €550,000.
PROCEEDS FOR KIDS
The proceeds will go to much needed medical equipment and to the Edmond and Lily Safra Children’s Hospital wing of the Sheba Medical Centre.
“We would like to thank all guests for their generous support,” said Dr Afek at the event. “The Sheba Medical Centre was again voted one of the 10 best hospitals. On the one hand, our ‘City of Health Hospital’ stands for innovation and transformation. But it is also always the hospital of peace and help.”
Three Monaco Yacht Club (YCM) teams battled it out at the front of the field during the Copa del Rey sailing tournament, held in Palma de Mallorca, over the weekend.
YCM’s crews were combative in the seas surrounding the Mallorcan capital last Saturday. The 41st edition of the Copa del Rey (King’s Cup) sailing competition was held amidst perfect sailing conditions. 70 boats competed in eight different categories in an exciting and jam-packed schedule.
Five days of competition came to a head on Saturday with three of YCM’s teams securing promising results. Moonlight’s crew, skippered by Graeme Peterson secured a fifth place in the ClubSwan 50 class. Peterson and his crew were closely followed by another YCM team, Cuordileone, skippered by Leonardo Ferragamo.
Saling coming closer ashore
There was another sixth-place finish for a Monégasque crew in Palma. In the ORC 2 class, Roberto Tamburelli on Rachistar concluded a strong weekend for the YCM’s crews and proved that they are up there with the best. Team Malizia’s exploits in the Ocean Race earlier this year are further proof the institution’s international competitiveness.
Sailing is coming to slightly more local shores later this month. The countdown is on for the 18th edition of the Palermo-Monte-Carlo, which will land on Monégasque shores on 27th August.
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Escaping to higher altitudes for some fresh mountain air is the perfect antidote to the busy coast and summer temperatures of the Côte d’Azur. Read on to discover the Monaco Life list of top rural hotels in the region.
From remote hotels with pristine mountain views to châteaux replete with luxury spas and excellent restaurants, there are some wonderful high-altitude resorts and venues to be found if you know where to look.
Thankfully, we do. Let’s take a closer look at some of the best.
Pure Montagne Resort & Spa
Found in the Vésubie valley, around an hour and a half from Monaco or a little longer if you take the scenic route, the Pure Montagne Resort & Spa reigns supreme as the finest “aparthotel” in a region sometimes described as a “Niçoise Switzerland”.
34 suites and rooms across five chalets sit alongside a Nordic-inspired spa, lounge rooms and a bar that make this destination the perfect place to unwind in stunning natural scenery. Here are tonnes of activities to be discovered outside too, from bike rides and hiking to wild swimming and the Vésubia Mountain Park, of which the hotel is a partner.
The spa facilities at Pure Montagne. Photo credit: Pure Montagne Resort & Spa
Fiocco di Neve Relais & Spa
Next up is the Fiocco di Neve Relais & Spa – meaning snowflake in Italian – in the Piedmontese village of Limone. This place is a bit harder to reach at the moment than it should be as works on the Tende tunnel, which was near destroyed by Storm Alex some years ago, are not yet complete and a provisional date for reopening has been pushed to sometime in 2024. Still, the beauty of this idyllic Italian mountain town continues to draw in tourists and visitors willing to “go the extra mile”.
Head into Piedmont for an alpine escape Italian-style. Photo credit: Fiocco di Neve Relais & Spa
The Fiocco di Neve Relais & Spa is found in the town centre, thus offers excellent nearby amenities and services. The rooms are spread across a range of suites suitable for those suitable for family groups to couples looking for a romantic getaway.
The inclusion of a spa at this hotel makes that a very real probability and it is luxuriously decorated in a way only Italians know how to achieve. The White Restaurant & Lounge Bar is also worth a visit and serves up exquisite gourmet cuisine inspired by regional produce that is backed up a wine cellar housing some 700 different labels.
Domaine Ribiera
The setting of the five-star Domaine Ribiera is perhaps more Provence than alpine, but it is situated in the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence department so we will leave the classification of this resort up to you.
Surrounded by greenery, from forests to rolling hills, this place certainly ticks a lot of boxes when it comes to a rural retreat thanks to its verdant locale and 12 hectares of landscaped grounds. But the Domaine Ribiera also comes with heaps of high-end amenities, not least its very own golf course, spa and restaurant, Le Ribiera.
The hotel has 20 rooms, six of which are luxury suites, and it is part of the Les Collectionneurs network of “hôtels de charme” picked by Monaco’s beloved Alain Ducasse.
The Domaine Ribiera has earned Alain Ducasse’s seal of approval. Photo credit: Domaine Ribiera
Villa Morelia
Back in the French alps, near the town of Barcelonnette and at the “gateway” to the Mercantour National Park, is the Villa Morelia. An elegant country house, it is set in a hectare of parkland with a swimming pool and boasts magnificent mountain views from every side.
There are multiple accommodation options, including a Grande and a Prestige suite, as well as a gastronomic restaurant that the Michelin Guide describes as offering “a certain bourgeois charm… a flattering setting for a market cuisine, seductive and faithful to tradition”.
The Villa Morelia near Barcelonnette. Photo credit: Alpes-Haute-de-Provence
Château de Taulane
For the first of our recommendations in the Verdon area, we head to the four-star Château de Taulane. This is a great destination for couples and groups looking to blend a spot of golf with some true relaxation at a top-notch spa. There’s also a great restaurant within the grounds, which is open from April through to October.
The Château de Taulane is a vast 18th century estate, with some 29 rooms typically available, but another 18 on offer if you’re looking to book the place out for an event or wedding. One thing to note is that if you were hoping to get away with your pet in tow, no animals are permitted at this address.
Château Taulane combines relaxation, sport and haute cuisine. Photo credit: Château Taulane
Hôtel & Spa des Gorges du Verdon
Finally, we come to the Hôtel & Spa des Gorges du Verdon, which is located at almost 1,000 metres above sea level in the heart of the Verdon area. This four-star hotel is also very close to the jaw-droppingly beautiful canyon that makes this region famous. It is home to a Cinq Mondes Spa that will also take your breath away too.
Each of its 30 rooms and suites, including one duplex for those needing extra space, opens onto a gorgeous panoramic view of the surrounding landscape that promises to “lift your spirits” and fulfill those desires to escape from the urban coast.
There’s an onsite restaurant with an equally lovely terrace, as well as a sister restaurant called Le Styx in the nearby village.
Views galore from the Hôtel & Spa des Gorges du Verdon. Photo credit: Hôtel & Spa des Gorges du Verdon
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