Lunchtime News Thursday 13th August 2020

Local

Three new coronavirus cases in Monaco - Three new cases of Covid-19 have been declared in the Principality on Wednesday, August 12. One of the infected people has been hospitalized at the Princess Grace Hospital.

The total number of people affected by the coronavirus in Monaco now stands at 141. Four patients are currently in   hospital. The total number of people who have recovered stands at 114 with 11 people being cared for by the Home Monitoring Centre which medically supports people with few symptoms who self-isolate at home.

Mountain refuge closes after guardian tests positive – Meanwhile according to the Regional Health Agency the guardian of the Longon mountain refuge in Roure in the Haute Tinée has tested positive for Covid-19. 17 hikers who stayed at the refuge between July 20th and August 10th have been contacted and will be tested and monitored for symptoms.

As an emergency measure, a crisis unit has been set up at the college in Saint-Sauveur-sur-Tinée the town closest to Roure.

Motorcyclist performing wheelies kills himself - A motorcyclist has been killed while performing wheelies on his motorcycle in Puget-Théniers. The accident occurred on Wednesday evening at around 11pm.

The victim who was not wearing a helmet at the time lost control and hit a wall.

MP calls for masks to be made free of charge - MP of the Alpes-Maritimes Eric Ciotti has this morning demanded that all masks be free of charge. Speaking on French radio Ciotti said that he “wants the government to take responsibility and make masks free for all, seeing as they are now compulsory for health reasons”.

Ciotti went on to criticise the current situation which he says is “somewhat incoherent" with "some cities making it obligatory outside but not all”.

Currently the mask can represent a very significant amount in the monthly budget, around 300 euros for a family with two children.

National

Migrants crossing the English Channel - Britain and France have agreed to increase efforts to stop migrants from crossing the English Channel in small boats, as concern grows in London over the numbers of migrants entering British waters from France.

Following talks this week in Paris, British immigration minister Chris Philp said that Britain and France were working on a “new operational plan” that would make the Channel route unviable for "illegal migrants" in a bid to cut off smuggler networks.

Britain has been looking for ways to address illegal immigration including taking the fingerprints of migrants caught crossing the Channel, after a surge in numbers arriving from France by sea.

Road safety - France’s road safety has announced that the number of people killed on the roads in France fell by 11.3% in July. 291 people died on the roads in July compared to 328 for the same period last year.

Road Safety points out that the main reason is that traffic has not returned to its usual level for the month of July due to the Covid-19 health crisis.