News
Monaco - A 75-year-old resident of the Principality has died from Covid at the Princess Grace Hospital. This is the seventh death of a resident in Monaco and the fourth since the start of 2021. On Tuesday, 25 new positive cases were identified amongst residents bringing the total to 1,092. Twenty-five people are currently hospitalized and nine people including six residents are still being treated in intensive care. 124 people are being followed by the Home Monitoring Center.
Covid-19 - According to France’s Health Minister Olivier Véran, the English variant of Covid-19 represents around 1% of positive tests in France. On Tuesday France identified 20,000 additional cases of Covid-19 and 362 deaths in 24 hours. During a hearing in the French parliament on Tuesday, the Health Minister said that he is not in favour of giving priority to elected officials in France for the vaccination against Covid-19. Adding that they should "set an example and wait their turn”. The minister was responding to a question about the possibility of granting priority access to vaccines for elected officials of the Republic.
Vaccination - The French Ministry of Health said that vaccination appointments for those aged 75 and over, outside of nursing homes can be made from this Thursday either by phone or through the website sante.fr, with the first vaccinations of that age group being carried out from next Monday, 18th January.
Vaccination in the region - However locally, the city council of Antibes Juan-les-Pins has announced that Covid-19 vaccinations are due to begin this Friday, January 15th, starting with people over 75 years old. The aim is to vaccinate the entire local population over 75 years of age who wish to be vaccinated, as well as patients suffering from co-morbidities, before the end of February. Since Tuesday afternoon it's been possible to make an appointment. There are several ways to do this - online at the website antibes-juanlespins.com, by calling 04 92 91 35 79 or by visiting the vaccination center at 288 Chemin de Saint-Claude in Antibes. The vaccination center, located at the Maison des Associations, will work alongside the Antibes hospital center. The hospital will welcome those over 75 as soon as it has completed the vaccination of health workers. Residents of Antibes Juan-les-Pins, Vallauris Golfe-Juan and Villeneuve-Loubet may be treated by the Antibes vaccination center. The town hall added that the establishment of a vaccination center in Vallauris is under study and should open at the end of January. A third center will be opened in Valbonne to accommodate the inhabitants of the middle country of the Sophia Antipolis Agglomeration. Finally, the population in the north of the Sophia Antipolis Agglomeration will be taken care of by the Departmental Council.
Increase in the number of people wishing to be vaccinated – Meanwhile French doctors have said that there has been an “increase in the number of people wishing to be vaccinated” against Covid. More than 50,000 people were vaccinated in France on Tuesday. In total, since the start of vaccination in France, nearly 190,000 people have been vaccinated. In light of the “more favourable” attitude towards the vaccination doctors also remind patients that the “studies which have been published, in particular on the first messenger RNA vaccines, provide reassuring results”.
To hear more about the vaccine and the campaign here in the Principality, Riviera Radio has had the opportunity to speak to the head of protection against infectious diseases at the Princess Grace Hospital, Dr Keita-Perse. You can hear the interview tomorrow morning at 8.15am during the Full English Breakfast show.
Defence Council meeting - France’s Health Defence Council will today decide on new measures in the fight against Covid-19. Prime Minister Jean Castex will announce the decisions taken, tomorrow Thursday 14th January. So far according to French media a third lockdown seems to be ruled out suggesting that the new 6pm curfew in 25 departments is “good enough” and could be extended to the whole country. With a possibility of the curfew in the week and a complete lockdown at weekends.
Another concern to be discussed today is the situation in French schools with reportedly, the possible closure of school canteens along with a ban on school sporting activities and school trips. Many high schools are already operating on a one day on, one day off schedule and online lessons. The objective of new measures would be to avoid the complete closure of establishments.
Road accident - A teenager has been injured in a road accident in Valbonne. The accident occurred near the Ile Verte roundabout during rush hour on Tuesday afternoon. Traffic came to a standstill in the area while emergency services intervened. The teenager, who was on a scooter at the time of the accident, was taken to the Lenval hospital in Nice.
Motorists stranded due to heavy snowfall – Meanwhile heavy snow fall has seen 2,500 vehicles come to a standstill on the A40 motorway between Lyon and Geneva. Several hundred motorists found themselves confined to the cars overnight. Police and firefighters were mobilized along with the Red Cross. The mayor of Bellegarde in the Haute Savoie opened a gymnasium to accommodate those stranded. Authorities say nearly 30 centimeters of snow fell, with traffic slowly resuming at 4am this morning.
Prison sentence following illegal party - Two people have been given a six-month suspended prison sentence and three others are to appear in court in June after being linked to an illegal party organised in Marseille on De
