Lunchtime News Friday 26th March 2021

 News

Alpes Maritimes - The most recent data from the National Health Agency has shown that on average in the Alpes Maritimes around 600 new cases of Covid have been declared each day from the 16th to 22nd March. For the week of March 16th to 22nd, all municipalities with more than 15,000 inhabitants (Nice, Cannes, Antibes, Cagnes-sur-Mer, Grasse, Le Cannet, Menton, Saint-Laurent-du-Var, Vallauris, Mandelieu-la -Napoule, Mougins, Vence, Villeneuve-Loubet) presented, according to the government platform Géodes updated daily, an incidence rate of between 250 and 500. Since the start of the epidemic, the coronavirus has killed 1,714 people in the department (1,271 in hospitals, 443 in nursing homes).

Veterinarians and dentists will be able to vaccinate against Covid-19 - The High Authority for Health (HAS) has today agreed that veterinarians and dentists will be able to vaccinate against Covid-19, once formally approved by the French government. According to HAS, this will allow 252,000 additional professionals to be able to inject the vaccine against Covid-19.

French minister criticizes Russia - French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian has criticized Russia for making its anti-Covid Sputnik V vaccine a "propaganda" tool. Speaking to French media this morning the minister said that "the way it has been managed, is more a means of propaganda and aggressive diplomacy than a means of solidarity and health aid”.

Measures to support the economy will cost 32 billion euros in 2021 - The minister of Public Accounts Olivier Dussopt, has said that the French State should spend around 32 billion euros to support the economy in 2021, after 2020 which saw the deficit and the debt reach "historic" levels. According to the minister the cost of extending the emergency measures will exceed 30 billion euros, with 18 billion euros for the solidarity fund, 11 billion for the partial activity and around 3.5 to 4 billion euros for exemptions from social contributions.”

Director of research at Inserm can’t see how France can avoid a total lockdown - Professor Dominique Costagliola, director of research at Inserm has said this morning on French radio that “the health situation in France is different to that in October due to new variants of Covid” which in her view are “more contagious and more serious” the professor went on to suggest that more servere measures are needed concluding that she “can’t see how France cannot go towards a total lockdown”.

In other news 

Stabbing in Cannes - A 17-year-old has been stabbed following a fight in Cannes. The brawl broke out on Thursday evening and the young man was taken to hospital by emergency services where is in reported to be in a stable condition.

A rise in public service tariffs in Nice - During a local council meeting the city of Nice has voted in favour of new tariffs for various public services. While school meals, remain unchanged, others services such as play centers, day care centers will see an increase.