Lunchtime News Friday 23rd April 2021

News

Health professionals express concerns at government reopening plan - Many health professionals in France have expressed their concern following the “reopening schedule” announced by the French government on Thursday. Despite French Prime Minister announcing that "the peak of the third wave seems to be behind us and the drop in epidemic pressure is underway," on Thursday the number of new daily Covid cases stood at 34,318. Some have compared the situation to the UK saying that when “Britain reopened there were 2,000 daily cases and less than 30 daily deaths” adding that “the situation is very different in France and much more fragile”. For many health professionals the reopening schedule is likely to increase epidemic pressure and, consequently, further saturate hospitals in France”.

Johnson & Johnson vaccine available from Saturday - People over the age of 55 will be able, "from this Saturday", to be vaccinated against Covid-19 with the Johnson & Johnson vaccine. France received a first delivery of 200,000 doses of this vaccine at the end of last week, but it was awaiting the conclusions of the European Medicines Agency (EMA), which estimated on Wednesday that the benefits outweighed the risks.

Vaccination in the Var - This weekend a new vaccination campaign is being carried out in the Var to vaccinate priority workers aged 55 and over with AstraZeneca. The Zenith in Toulon will be open Saturday and Sunday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. 

In other news

Two vehicles catch fire in car park in Principality - Two work site vehicles have caught fire in a car park in Monaco. The incident occurred just after 9pm on Thursday evening at the Larvotto car park on avenue Princess Grace. The reason for the blaze remains to be determined. 24 firefighters were on site no injuries were reported.

Wine Auction - The Hotel Martinez is to open its doors to a prestigious wine auction. Tomorrow Friday 23rd April and Saturday 24th April prestigious wines and rare spirits will be auctioned in the salons of the Martinez Hotel. Lots range in price from 20,000 to 50,000 euros. Many bottles come from renowned estates of Champagne, Burgundy, Bordeaux and other French wine regions. While the auction room will be restricted to a certain number of people due to health restrictions it’s possible to take part online at https://www.cannesauction.com/ventes/305-vins-prestigieux-alcools-rares

 

Last local news

Evening Update Thursday 30 October 2025

Five suspects have been arrested after an armed robbery this afternoon in Lyon Evening Update Thursday 30 October 2025 Read More

30/10/2025

French and Riviera News Thursday 30th Ocotober 2025

In Paris, left-wing and far-right MPs have joined forces to pass a new measure against tax optimisation by multinational corporations, during the firs... French and Riviera News Thursday 30th Ocotober 2025 Read More

30/10/2025

Evening Update Wednesday 29 October 2025

A ceremony took place in Nice this morning to mark the fifth anniversary of the attack at the Notre-Dame Basilica ... Evening Update Wednesday 29 October 2025 Read More

29/10/2025

French and Riviera News Wednesday 29th October 2025

Income from fixed speed cameras in France fell by €76 million in 2024, dropping to €889 million from €965 million in 2023. The fall comes after many c... French and Riviera News Wednesday 29th October 2025 Read More

29/10/2025

Evening Update Tuesday 28 October 2025

There’s been a large increase in unemployment in France. Just over 3.2 million people were completely unemployed in the third quarter... Evening Update Tuesday 28 October 2025 Read More

28/10/2025