News
Wearing a mask in the Alpes Maritimes, measure to be relaxed from today - The obligation to wear a mask outside in the Alpes Maritimes region is to be eased from today Tuesday 4th May. This means that it will no longer be obligatory to wear a mask on beaches, along the coastline and in green spaces such as parks and gardens.
Incidence rate in the Alpes Maritimes at its lowest since October 2020 - Meanwhile the Covid incidence rate in the Alpes Maritimes has reached its lowest since October of last year. The latest figures show that, to date it stands at 125.5 (for the week of April 24th to April 30th). The figure shows that the virus has dropped in terms of circulation however there has also been a drop in the screening rate which is also to be taken into account. The regional incidence rate does however remain below France’s national average which stands at 245 per every 100,000 people.
France’s Health Minister says that the “epidemic is falling each week in France” - France’s Health Minister Olivier Veran has said that the “Covid epidemic in France is falling each week by between 20 to 25%”. According to the minister France is at “20,000 cases per day”. According to CovidTracker, the average of the contamination over seven days, taken from April 24 to 30, was 23,512 daily confirmed cases.
Véran said that he hopes that “in two weeks France is somewhere between 10,000 and 15,000 cases per day, which will allow to regain control over the epidemic”.
In other news
Yachts in Antibes have expressed disapproval over new measures - Yachts in the port of Antibes have shown their “dissatisfaction” over the highly regulated mooring measures in the Mediterranean, claiming they are "ineffective" and "unfair". The Alpes-Maritimes prefecture has decided to regulate the anchoring of units over 24 meters. The aim of the new regulation is to preserve the environment and decongest maritime traffic and mooring areas. Every summer, on the Mediterranean coast of France, around 1,700 boats over 24 meters anchor their anchors on shallow seagrass beds. Usually, the region hosts 40% of the world's great yachting each year. Port Vauban in Antibes is the leading European port in terms of tonnage with 1,654 berths, including 224 for yachting.
Climate change - The French parliament is set to vote through a new climate change today intended by President Emmanuel Macron to reinforce his green credentials one year ahead of national elections. The draft legislation is almost certain to be approved, but it has been heavily criticised by environmental groups. Campaigners see it as too timid given the pace of climate change globally and accuse the French President of half-hearted commitment. Measures include bans on domestic flights under two and half hours that can be done by train and restrictions on renting badly insulated properties. The overall aim is to put in place measures that will enable France to meet its target of reducing its greenhouse gas emissions by 40 percent compared with 1990 levels by a deadline of 2030.
Renault to restrict top speed on new models – The carmaker Renault has unveiled controversial plans to restrict the top speed of its new models to 180 kilometres per hour, following in the footsteps of Volvo in an effort to make roads safer. That's still 50 kilometres per hour above the maximum speed limit on French motorways. But by comparison, many German carmakers only cap the speed of their vehicles at 250 kilometres per hour, as the country is famous for having motorways without any speed limits. On social media, some French users said Renault would likely turn off foreign buyers with its move. Others joked that they doubted Renault cars could go that fast in the first place.
A new optional regional transport tax for businesses, introduced in France’s 2025 budget, aims to fund eco-friendly mobility projects. ...
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A judge has authorised a dive to inspect the wreckage of a plane in the sea off Antibes. The plane crashed into the Mediterranean on September 11 1968...
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In France, drinking water is heavily contaminated with "forever pollutants," particularly trifluoroacetic acid (TFA), as revealed by two studies from ...
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The trial of the Tunisian man accused of the murder of three people in the Nice Basilica attack is continuing in Paris. Yesterday the families of the ...
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Four cities in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur (PACA) region made Booking.com's 2025 list of the "most welcoming destinations in France." ...
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