French and Riviera News Thursday 2nd April 2020

President of the PACA region accuses US of diverting cargo at the last minute -  The president of the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region Renaud Muselier has reportedly announced that part of a cargo of surgical masks destined for France has been diverted to the United States at the last minute. The Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region has ordered 4 million masks from China. The delivery of these masks should have been completed this Thursday, April 2, but has now been delayed and will arrive in France next week according to Mr Muselier. 

The President of the PACA region has reportedly accused the Americans of intervening by paying cash for a cargo of medical masks in China which had been reserved for the region and was on its way. 

Monaco - The director of public security in Monaco has announced that since the confinement in the Principality, introduced to stem the spread of the virus, 11,000 checks have been carried out and only one individual has been fined,  adding that "Overall, the confinement is being respected".

As of this week public security agents and police officers are fully equipped, with a kit including gloves, hydroalcoholic gel and masks. 

Meanwhile the Larvotto construction site has been reopened as the government declared on Wednesday that the project is “essential for the development of the Principality”. The site had previously been closed following the closure of all public construction sites however, on Wednesday April 1st the government announced that around 40 to 60 workers will be allowed to resume their jobs at the Larvotto site adding that additional hygiene measures will be in place to respect the current measures of precuation. 

What price will we pay with the negative effects of confinement? - If you're already climbing the walls due to the confinement, researchers are looking into the effects this isolation can have on our mental health. Over 3 billion people around the world are living in an unprecedented situation in order to slow the spread of the coronavirus.

Boredom, lack of loved ones, loss of freedom ...a difficult moment to bear, which can have negative effects on morale. The World Health Organization (WHO) believes that confinement is one of the "very important consequences" of the Covid-19 epidemic because it affects "what we love to do, where we want to be, and with whom." we want to be. "

This forced isolation can cause post-traumatic stress as well as feelings of frustration, confusion and anger, according to research. The duration of confinement, the housing conditions, the loss of income, the lack of information, or even boredom increase these feelings generated by a new situation, both by its form and by its magnitude. 

In Monaco on Wednesday 1st April TEDx Monte Carlo hosted the first of three virtual events with the objective to discuss wellbeing during this period of lockdown. For information on the uncoming virtual events go to https://tedxmontecarlo.com/

Monaco has also set up a call centre which can be contacted on Monaco 92.05.55.00 and as always the British Association of Monaco can be contacted on 06.60.21.63.99.

In France the following number has been made available  0800.13.00.00 during the lockdown period. 

The region's health agency calls for hospital staff and carers to mobilise in the regions the worst hit by the virus - The regions health agency has called on hospital staff in the Provence Alpes Côte d'Azur region  to go and help hospital staff in the regions of the Grand-Est and Ile-de-France, where the situation is critical.

With hundreds of lives at stake it's a call to "mobilise and be united in fighting the virus". The Regional Health Agency asks the carers (students included) who can make themselves available, to join for a week "two regions in distress".

The situation of the coronavirus in the worst hit areas is seeing thousands of people currently in intensive care, a "situation which is in no way comparable to what we know in Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur". Additional beds have been released, but human resources are now lacking.

"Despite an exceptional mobilization of establishments in these two regions, the unlimited dedication of their teams, it is no longer possible today to meet the needs," warns the ARS Paca. The stay, travel and support on site will be fully covered, says the Regional Health Agency which asks "urgently" to those interested to call 04.13.55.90.27 to organize the quickest departure possible. The Regional Health Agency would like to bring together a hundred volunteers.

Latest coronavirus figures - 10,935 people, considered to have been cured from coronavirus in France have been able to leave hospital since March 1st with 1,491 in the last 24 hours.