Lunchtime News Wednesday 2nd September 2020

Local

Monaco to increase testing capacity for Covid -19 - The Monegasque government has announced plans to increase the testing capacity for Covid-19 in the Principality. Currently faced with a high demand for PCR tests laboratories are overwhelmed and patients are facing up to a two wait in order to get tested.

Gym closes in Nice after cases of Covid-19 - The gym at the Jean-Bouin sports complex in Nice has been closed after several positive cases of Covid-19 were reported.

As a precautionary measure and in agreement with the city council it was decided to temporary close the site which will be completely disinfected. The centre has more than 1,000 members.

Coronavirus - According to the latest figures from the Regional Health Agency the number of coronavirus cases in the Alpes Maritimes continues to rise in those over forty as well as the under twenties.

Since August 21st, the region has been classified as a red zone with the threshold currently standing at 106.6 per 100,000 inhabitants.

Five people are in intensive care in the Alpes Maritimes and eighteen cluster cases have been declared.

In the Var one person has died this week from Covid-19 and 49 patients are currently hospitalised.

Monaco – Meanwhile in Monaco 2 new cases of Covid-19 were reported on Tuesday bringing the total number of residents affected by the virus to 140. Four people remain in hospital of which two are in intensive care and 43 residents are being cared for by the Home Monitoring Centre.  

National

Lawsuit against the French government - Five French citizens, have filed a lawsuit against the French government, saying that a policy imposed on travellers is a violation of their constitutional "right to return".

French citizens living in the United States are furious about Covid-19 testing requirements that France has imposed on travellers, complicating their return home.

France issued an order in late July requiring travelers coming from four countries, including  the United States, to show a negative Covid-19 test result at the airport before boarding their plane. The test must be taken less than 72 hours before the flight.

A French court agreed that restricting a citizen's ability to return to his or her home country was a constitutional violation, but the policy was not reversed.

Ban on cold calling - A new law has come into effect today in France banning cold calling selling eco-friendly home renovation services. Individuals could be fined €75,000 for breaking the law and companies up to €375,000, compared with the previous amounts of €3,000 for individuals and €15,000 for companies.

Other sectors have not been banned from making sales cold calls by telephone, but the new law will limit the times of day and how often they can call clients. 

The law has come into place following accusations that companies were harassing potential clients by phone. Some clients claimed they were being called up to 20 times a day by the same company, at all hours of day and night.

 

 

 

 

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