Lunchtime News Wednesday 20th January 2021

News

Fatal road accident in the Var -  A 36 year old man has died following an accident on the route de la Môle in the Var. The accident happened on Tuesday evening around 10pm when the motorist lost control of his vehicle which rolled over several times. The driver was ejected and found himself trapped under his car. Emergency services intervened and police have launched an investigation to determine the cause of the accident.

Second case of Covid in nursery section of school in Monaco - A second pupil has tested positive in the nursery section of the Stella school in Monaco. On Monday the establishment confirmed a first case leading to the closure of the class and testing being carried out amongst staff. The class concerned will be closed from today until Wednesday 25th January.

Parking metres to resume from Wedneday 20th January - After several weeks of free street parking in Nice parking metres are set to resume service today, Wednesday 20th January. From 9am this morning motorists will have to return to filling the metres. Parking metres had been suspended due to lockdown.

Earthquake - An earthquake with a magnitude of 2.1 has been recorded north of Strasbourg on Tuesday evening. The epicenter was located near the geothermal power plant project. This is not the first time that an earth tremor has hit the region and at the beginning of December the plant initiated the total shutdown of activity. The prefect of the region has said that since the incident on December 4th 400 compensation claims had been made for homes damaged by the tremors.

Protests from French students - French students have planned a series of protests today to draw attention to the rising mental health problems many say they are suffering as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. In France student mental health resources have been overwhelmed by the numbers seeking help in recent weeks. In the last two weeks alone, two undergraduates in Lyon have tried to take their lives. As in many countries, students in France have been unable to attend lectures for several months, and many are living away from home in cramped accommodation.

Masks – France’s highest health authority has warned that cloth face masks may not protect people from new coronavirus variants. France’s  health advisory council, Haute Conseil de la Santé Publique, has said homemade cloth masks may not be the safest option. Instead, people should stick to wearing professionally-made masks such as disposable surgical masks, or FFP2 masks.