Evening Update Monday 5 October 2020

The bodies of three more victims of Friday's floods have been discovered on the French side of the border. At least two people have died in northern Italy.

Efforts are being made to reconnect those cut off by Friday's  floods. The village of Tende is completely cut off by road and has no mains water or electicity. 251 patients are currently in the CHU hospital in Tende, including patients evacuated from St Lazare, the other hospital in the town. A crisis management team from the CHU in Nice has been flown in by helicopter and a supply of drinking water has been taken to the site. The French army is working to create a way through to the village to allow access for emergency vehicles. reports say that about three thousand homes are still without mains electricity in the Tinee and Vesubie valleys but emergency generators are being installed.

Renauld Muselier, the President of the Provence Alpes Cote d'Azur Ragion said that special rail links are being established to supply Breil and Roya and a helicopter is being chartered to connect Tende as from tomorrow. repair works on the Breil-Tende railway line will begin shortly but it's thought they may take two months to complete.

Speaking to French television, Alpes Maritimes firefighters have said that at least four people have lost their lives. About twenty people are still missing as a result of the floods.

Alpes Maritimes deputy Eric Ciotti has estimated that one billion euros of damage has been caused by the storm. He said this morning that President Macron is expected to visit the department shortly, which was confirmed by Nice Mayor Christian Estrosi this afternoon after he had spoken to the president. The mayor said that President Macron would be arriving on Wednesday after a meeting of the Council of Ministers.

French Prime Minister Jean Castex has said that a procedure has begun to classify parts of our region as areas of natural disaster. He said that he expects this to be finalized at the meeting of the Council of Ministers on Wednesday.

The Monegasque Red Cross has launched an appeal for donations for those affected by Friday's storm. Teams from the organization have taken part in setting up a reception structure in Monaco and also provided support in an emergency reception and accommodation center open at the Carei gymnasium in Menton. You can make a donation at www.croix-rouge.mc

The Town Hall of Cannes and the Agglomeration Cannes Lérins have announced plans to help the affected villages of the valleys of Vesubia, Tinée and Roya after the floods. David Lisnard, the Mayor of Cannes and the President of the Cannes Lérins Agglomeration announced emergency assistance tailored to the needs of the communities affected. This includes the provision of vehicles such as pick-up trucks and cranes accompanied by trained teams. Satellite phones from the Town Hall of Cannes and the Cannes Lérins agglomeration will also be made available to the mayors of municipalities deprived of the means of communication. As from today, the Cannes Municipality is opening an emergency collection centre at the Maritime Station on the Esplanade Pantiero in Cannes from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. to collect donations of food, hygeine and health products, blankets and appliances. You can find details of the specific items needed at the webiste www.cannes.com where it's also possible to make financial donations.

A local hotel union is providing 400 rooms to accommodate people affected by the floods. Pre-equipped apartments are also available on a temporary basis via social landlords in Cannes.

Lignes d'Azur bus services have been disrupted on several lines in the arriere pays . You can get details on lignesdazur.com SNCF have said that Train circulation is changed between Nice and Breil and interrupted between Breil and Tende. SNCF has decided to make TER trains free of charge between Nice and Breil from today until further notice. You can find information about specific trains on sncf.com


In other news, restaurants in Aix-Marseille have re-opened this lunchtime. The announcement of the re-opening was made after a meeting between the regional prefect and representatives of the hospitality industry last night. A strict health protocol has been put in place. However, bars and sports halls remain closed. Meanwhile, at a meeting this morning, the Marseille City Council approved the creation of the city's own scientific council to advise on the coronavirus.


BUSINESS

In the UK, new car registrations in September fell by 4.4% compared to last year. According to industry body the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders, last month saw the lowest volume of new cars registered since the current licence plate system began in 1999.

A new survey suggests that the pandemic has changed the balance between home and office working. The survey by the British Council for Offices showed that 62% of senior executives want to alternate between home work and office work in the future. The figure for entry level employees was slightly less, at 58%.

Italian agri-food business Newlat Food has made a non-binding offer to acquire Hovis Holdings Ltd, the maker of Hovis bread. Hovis is owned by Premier Foods and Gores Group and employs 2,800 people across the UK.


SPORT

Rugby Union... Twelve uncapped players have been included in England's training squad. A total of 28 players will meet for training beginning tomorrow. England have a match against Barbarians on 25 October followed by a Six Nations game against Italy and four Nations Cup matches.

Football.. In transfer news, Ben Godfrey has joined Everton from Norwich on a five year deal. Ryan Sessegnon has joined German club Hoffenheim on loan from Spurs for the remainder of this season.

Chelsea player Tammy Abraham has apologised for what he called "the naivety shown" after he was reported to have breached coronavirus guidelines. Newspaper reports said that a surprise birthday party had been thrown for the England player on Saturday at which about twenty people had been present in breach of the six person limit.

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