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AS Monaco fall to Lyon

by: Stephanie Horsman
26/10/2020

Despite a strong start, AS Monaco wasn’t able to keep the momentum up on Sunday in a tough match against 6th ranked Olympique Lyonnaise, resulting in a 1-4 loss.
Playing on the opponent’s home turf, AS Monaco started the game against Lyon with gusto. They made several shots on goal in the first 15 minutes, but the Lyonnaise goalie, Anthony Lopes, was having a stellar game and his reflexes were sharp as tacks, thus stopping any points from being scored.
Lyon opened the scoring 12 minutes in with a shot by Memphis Depay, marking the first of four goals made in the first half. Lyon’s Karl Toko Ekambi racked up two goals within 10 minutes of each other in the 34th minute and the 44th and Houssem Aouar scored in the 41st. The score sat at 0-4 and things were looking a bit bleak for Monaco as they went into the locker room at halftime.
“They were very dangerous, especially in the first half,” said Monaco Coach Niko Kovac. “We did everything wrong in those first 45 minutes, where we made a lot of bad decisions, starting with me. I am the coach, I chose the team and the tactical system, so I take my share of responsibility for this loss. We weren’t active enough. We were too reactive. We didn’t close down the spaces when needed.”
The second half was a bit better for the Red and Whites, and they were playing well as a team. Wissam Ben Yedder made a fantastic play resulting in a goal in the 48thminute, saving his team from a complete blow-out and breathing some life back into the squad, but sadly not enough for a comeback. The score sat at 1-4 With Lyon taking the day.
“The team as a whole was too passive. I think we need to analyse what happened in that first half,” Coach Kovac reflected.
Monaco drops to 12th in Ligue 1 but have a chance to redeem themselves on Sunday 1st November when they will host Girondins de Bordeaux at Stade Louis II.
 
Photo courtesy AS Monaco
 
 

No more late nights out

by: Cassandra Tanti
23/10/2020

Bars and restaurants in Monaco have been ordered to close by 11.30pm under a new range of restrictions announced by Minister of State Pierre Dartout on Friday evening.
The announcement follows a decision by the French government to put the neighbouring Alpes-Maritimes department under a strict 9pm curfew.
“Even if the situation in Monaco is less worrying than elsewhere, I must tell you that it remains serious,” said the minister of state during a broadcast address to the citizens of the Principality.
“Today almost all of us know someone who has had to self-quarantine or who is or has been diagnosed with the virus,” he continued. “This shows very clearly that the virus is actively circulating. We are in the second wave.”
The minister revealed that the incidence rate in Monaco is 81.58 per 100,000 inhabitants, while in the Alpes-Maritimes the incidence rate is 153.
“This is why the 9pm curfew is justified in France, but it is not justified, for the moment, in Monaco,” said the minister. “What is worrying, however, is that this incidence rate has doubled in one week.”
As a result, the Prince’s government will be tightening restrictions in the Principality, effective Saturday 24th October and lasting until 1st December.
Bars and restaurants will have to close at 11.30pm and meal reservations will be mandatory. Tables will be limited to six guests, and meals at high standing tables is not allowed.
The government will further strengthen checks to ensure establishments are complying with the rules.
Meanwhile, the Monte-Carlo Casino will be closed from midnight.
Sports activities will be restricted once again, including the suspension of all “combat sports” apart from professional games, and amateur sports trips outside of Monaco will not be allowed.
Finally, the number of passengers on CAM buses will be limited, however there will be an increase in frequency during rush hour traffic to compensate for the limitations.
Financial assistance
To support affected businesses and employees, the government is maintaining support measures such as the CTTR (Reinforced Total Temporary Unemployment) and reductions in social contributions.
“And of course, as you know, the Princely Government is deploying an ambitious recovery plan to the tune of €75 million, approved by the National Council, to support our economy,” said Pierre Dartout.
The restrictions will be evaluated and discussed regularly at the Joint Monitoring Committee in conjunction with the National Council. “Any new measures which may be necessary will be submitted to the Sovereign Prince,” said the minister of state.
Gatherings with family and friends
According to the government, one in two Covid infections occur during extended family gatherings.
While not wanting to “intervene in the private sphere” because “Monaco is a country of freedoms”, the minister said the government strongly recommends people avoid large gatherings with friends and family, adding: “It’s about taking care of yourself and the people you love.”
Citizens are also advised to avoid unnecessary travel in regions heavily affected by the virus.
Workers
Residents from the Alpes-Maritimes and the Var who travel to Monaco for work and who are affected by the 9pm curfew will need to carry the appropriate French document which cites travel for professional reasons.
For Italian employees, it will be possible to cross the Alpes-Maritimes to reach Italy with the same French travel certificate.
Health system
The minister of state said Monaco’s hospital and patient care infrastructure is “efficient and ready”, adding: “Since the start of the crisis, our health policy has enabled us to ensure an effective response from the hospital by avoiding congestion.”
He also thanked the health professionals, doctors, nurses, hospital staff, laboratory assistants, and pharmacists who have been mobilised for several months “to ensure the best care in the face of this virus which is not yet fully known and for which there is still no vaccine.”
Covid testing
The minister said the Principality continues to expand its testing capacity, which is currently 1,850 per week. “Proportionately, we are among the highest in Europe,” said the minister, revealing that 1,400 PCR tests carried out last week.
Since the return of school, 648 tests have been undertaken returning two positives.
 
Photo © Monaco Government Communication Department / Manuel Vitali
 
 

Happy birthday Monte-Carlo Bay Hotel and Resort

by: Cassandra Tanti
06/10/2020

In celebrating the past 15 years of the Monte-Carlo Bay Hotel and Resort, Monaco Life was excited to learn about its future 15 years, and discovered some exciting projects on the horizon that will transform the peninsula as we know it today.
It was not the biggest 15th birthday bash that the Monte-Carlo Bay Hotel and Resort would have hoped to host – given the ongoing Covid situation and, to a lesser extent, Sunday’s bleak weather. But it was a fantastic celebration nonetheless, featuring an extravagant 20+ course “brunch” prepared by Michelin star Chef Marcel Ravin and his team, endless glasses of Veuve Clicquot champagne, synchronised swimmers, a magician, DJ, ice-cream bar and a giant birthday cake.
“It is a very important moment for the staff, who have given a lot for this company,” General Director Frederic Darnot told Monaco Life. “We obviously couldn’t do a big party with Covid and the protocols, so we put all our efforts into this brunch.”

Photo: General Director Frederic Darnet, by Monaco Life

And it was a sold-out affair, with 180 of the resort’s loyal clientele joining in the celebration, lured by the return of the ‘Best Brunch in Monaco’, as voted by the people last year.
Much has been achieved by the Monte-Carlo Bay Hotel and Resort in its relatively short existence. It has won numerous awards, achieved huge sustainability goals, and – most recently – took out the Best Hotel Pool in Europe.
Indeed, the turquoise, sand-bottomed lagoon is the most striking feature of this sprawling resort, which is set out over four hectares of landscaped gardens. In a country that is only two-square kilometres in size, it seems particularly brave of the Monte-Carlo Société des Bains de Mer (SBM) Group to have carved out this oasis on the peninsula of Monaco.
© FABBIO GALATIOTO

“There used to be a summer cinema here, and a discotheque, Le Paradise, I remember dancing right there…” laughs Frederic, pointing to the courtyard.
The grandeur of the resort is also one of its famous features: the enormous foyer with giant arched windows that draw you to l’Orange Verte; the equally gigantic artworks by local artist Yaniv Edery; 332 rooms; the casino; the luxurious Suite Eleven; the Michelin star restaurant Blue Bay; and the Cinq Mondes spa.
Right now, there are 285 staff who make the resort run smoothly – far less than there would be in a normal year. But they all work to the same standard set by Frederic Darnot and SBM.
© FABBIO GALATIOTO

“It is thanks to all the staff, everyone works towards the same vision,” says Frederic. “We have 40,000 square metres of resort here, with a varied clientele – they come from the Orient, Eastern Europe, North America, the Middle East – that is one of our strong points.”
The resort has held the Green Globe certificate since 2014 and was awarded the prestigious Green Globe Standard certification in 2018. It is recognition of the staff’s continued efforts to manage energy and water resources more economically, to raise awareness and support actions in partnerships with other associations, and to strive to produce a healthier and more responsible cuisine.
The latter is a philosophy nourished by Executive Chef Marcel Ravin, who has been with the resort since the beginning. Marcel grew up in Martinique, cooking with the bounty that he and his grandmother gathered from their Creole garden. Today, the resort boasts its own organic vegetable garden that supplies the Michelin star restaurant. The restaurant is also a signatory of the Mister Good Fish initiative, promising to put underfished, seasonal species on the menu.
“I wanted to create a universe that resembles where my identity began, and I was lucky to be able to work in this environment and that the SBM trusted me,” Chef Marcel Ravin told Monaco Life. “I am living a daydream. This is why, even in difficult times, we remember what we have.”
Photo: Executive Chef Marcel Ravin by Monaco Life

In 2015, as the Blue Bay celebrated its 10th anniversary year, Chef Ravin was awarded his first Michelin star, propelling the restaurant into an elite club of the finest restaurants in Monaco.
It was the ultimate validation for a chef who has worked for two decades in the industry and who has uniquely blended Mediterranean cuisine with Creole influences, as well as for his team, which normally equates to around in 60.
“I talked with my team after getting back from Japan and I said, ‘Do you want a Michelin star?’ They said ‘yes’. So, I said again, ‘Do you want a Michelin star?’ They said ‘yes’. And for a third time I said ‘Do you want a Michelin star? They said ‘yes!’. So, we erased everything and started from a blank canvas. One year later, we got a Michelin Star,” remembers the chef fondly. “I am so lucky to have a wonderful team who understands me and are always here for me.”
Despite his achievements, Chef Ravin believes it is important to always set goals and to advance. “I come into my kitchen every day and it feels like I am in a boxing ring and I have to win the match,” he says. “You have to be able to get the best out of people around you and inspire them to believe we are capable of more.”
Receiving two Michelin stars is one of those goals, and the chef acknowledges that it is a difficult – although not impossible – task in such a large resort.
General Director Frederic Darnot and Executive Chef Marcel Ravin © Fabbio Galatioto

So, what do the next 15 years look like for the entire Monte-Carlo Bay Hotel and Resort?
“We have to rebuild the rooms, which is an enormous project, and we have the casino that has not reopened since it was closed during the lockdown – which we are perhaps repurposing,” reveals Frederic. “There is also the idea that we will connect with the Meridien Hotel to create one big resort, integrating the new Larvotto beach. It will be an entertainment zone with many more restaurants, a discotheque, a new Sporting, etc. So, it will be an entirely new complex.”
© FABBIO GALATIOTO

Sunday’s incredible birthday brunch ended in an important show of solidarity with the victims of Friday’s storms, with all remaining food donated to the Sospel Firefighters Association ‘solidarité Roya’.
Champagne Brunches will be held every Sunday at the Monte-Carlo Bay Hotel and Resort from 12pm to 3pm.
To see more photos of the birthday celebrations, see the gallery below. Click on the pictures to enlarge…

Photos © FABBIO GALATIOTO 
 
 
 

Flu shot takes on new importance

by: Cassandra Tanti
30/09/2020

The government is calling on everyone in Monaco to get a flu shot this year to minimise the impact of the seasonal influenza virus on the Principality amid an ongoing Covid epidemic.
Everyone from the age of six months is recommended to get a flu vaccination, while the government says it is “an absolute duty” for all caregivers and social workers in contact with vulnerable people, as well as State workers, to get the jab.
Doctors, nurses, midwives and pharmacists can give a flu shot and the vaccination is refunded for anyone affiliated with Monegasque Social Security.
There are a number of advantages to having the flu shot.
Seasonal flu and Covid, although caused by very different viruses, have identical symptoms: fever, cough, fatigue, and muscle pain. Diagnosis will therefore be easier if an infected person shows these symptoms but is vaccinated against influenza.
Each year, some flu patients are admitted to the emergency department with complications, therefore hospital resources need to be available to address serious forms of Covid.
Vaccination can also reduce the number of PCR tests carried out to determine if a person has coronavirus, when they are actually contaminated with the flu.
When a person has symptoms that are evocative of Covid, professional or school closures are the rule pending the results of PCR tests to reduce the risk of spreading the SARS-CoV-2 virus. Therefore, vaccination decreases the number of closures.
Finally, eliminating the flu reduces the number of days of people will have to be away from school or work.
For information regarding a vaccination, people are encouraged to contact their GP.
 
 

Water bike challenge pulls in major funds

by: Cassandra Tanti
23/09/2020

Princess Charlene’s epic fundraising adventure, The Crossing: Calvi – Monaco Water Bike Challenge, has raised more than €600,000 for her charity.
It was a fundraising event like none other: a princess, her brother, two teams of celebrity athletes, and a 180-kilometre sea crossing from Corsica to Monaco.
The Water Bike Challenge not only drew headlines across the globe, it also drew in the cash, with generous donors putting forward a total of €603,912 for the Princess Charlene of Monaco Foundation.
“The Princess Charlene of Monaco Foundation wishes to thank all the donors and sponsors who participated in the race ‘The Crossing: Calvi – Monaco Water Bike Challenge’. They turned this unforgettable sporting feat into a human and charity success,” said the foundation.
With the funds that were raised, the Foundation will strengthen its partnerships and increase the number of projects to fight against drowning, raise awareness of water safety and promote the values of sport.
YPI Yachts, Reach Food Service, Richard Mille, G&M Design, Activ5, Adamas Sports, Monaco Asset Management, Balkin Estates, Metabolic Balance and Appleton Capital were all major sponsors of the event.
The Foundation also thanked its partners of the race for their contribution: The City of Calvi, the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation, the Yacht Club de Monaco, Brooks Brothers, Eaux de Zilia, Nike Monte-Carlo, Scicon Sports, Maison Lino, Fendi, Thermes Marins Monte-Carlo, MyMuscle, Wine Palace Monte-Carlo, Air Corsica, N-Wines, and Monaco Textiles Pro.
Princess Charlene led team Serenity to victory on 13th September, coming in 14 minutes ahead of team Notorious, led by her brother and General Secretary of her Foundation, Gareth Wittstock.
 
Photo: Princess Charlene of Monaco Foundation
 

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Half year balance sheet takes stock of crisis

by: Cassandra Tanti
22/09/2020

The crisis brought about by Covid-19 cost the Principality €900 million in profits for the first half of the year, the latest report from IMSEE has revealed.
The Monegasque Institute for Statistics and Economic Studies (IMSEE) unveiled the Principality’s Economic Bulletin to the press on Monday 21st September.
Alongside Government Ministers Didier Gamerdinger and Jean Castellini, Director of IMSEE Sophie Vincent discussed the exceptional nature of the April-May-June 2020 period.
According to Ms Vincent, in the first half of the year, the Principality’s turnover plunged 13% compared to the same period in 2019, losing more than €900 million.
“Only two sectors resisted the trend: Construction and Scientific and Technical Activities, and Administrative and Support services. On the other hand, the hotel and catering industry lost 60% of its turnover and there was also a very clear decline in wholesale trade, but also in retail trade,” she revealed, adding, “foreign trade fell back to the level of 2016-2017, recording -51% for purchases and -37% for sales.”
At the end of June 2020, there were 8,000 fewer jobs compared to June 2019 (- 13.8%) in the private sector, despite rebounds of +13% between May and June once confinement was lifted. The hotel and catering industry alone saw a jump of 74%.
Meanwhile, due to business support measures, the number of business closures was lower than in 2019, with 208 against 268.
Regarding employment, Minister of Social Affairs and Health Didier Gamerdinger said the aid benefits implemented by the government, such as the CTTR, “erected a protective shield for companies and their employees.”
However, he announced that five new social claims were underway in the Principality, in addition to the existing 20, concerning around 30 employees in the yachting sector.
He also confirmed that the State and its social partners were currently working on the concept of labor flexibility to further stem the effects of the crisis to come.