French and Riviera News Wednesday 12th August

Local

Five new cases of coronavirus in Monaco - Five new cases of Covid-19 have been declared in the Principality. Following the news on Tuesday the total number of people affected in Monaco now stands at 138. Five people are currently in hospital and the total number of those which have recovered stands at 113.

Ten patients are followed by the Home Monitoring Centre which medically supports people with few symptoms who are able to self-isolate at home.

Wearing of masks in Monaco - The new cases come as the Monaco government announced that the compulsory wearing of masks will be extended to several open-air areas of the Principality. Currently, a mask is compulsory in all closed spaces which are open to the public. As from today, 12th August the wearing of masks will also be mandatory on the Place du Palais, in the alleys of Monaco-Ville, on the Place du Casino and on the esplanade of the shopping center in Fontvieille.

The government said that those places are highly frequented this summer and as medical distancing can't be ensured there, it is necessary to bring in extra measures for reasons of health and safety.

Alpes Maritimes and the Var become areas with a moderate level of vulnerability - Meanwhile Public Health France has changed the vulnerability level for four departments including the Alpes Maritimes and the Var.

Both Departments along with the Oise and the Vaucluse are now considered to be areas with a “moderate level of vulnerability” rather than a “limited” one, as was the case previously.

The statement published on Tuesday evening by the agency claimed that the number of hospitalizations and people admitted to intensive care due to Coivd-19 had fallen slightly since Monday.

In France, 30,354 people have died from the coronavirus of which 19,849 were hospitalised cases and 10,505 were residents in nursing homes. In all, 204,172 people have contracted coronavirus since the start of the epidemic, including 1,397 in 24 hours up 34.5% compared to last Tuesday.

Public Health France announced that a total of 83,237 hospitalised patients have returned home.

Testing in Porquerolles - Free testing for coronavirus has begun on the island of Porquerolles in the Var, the campaign, which began on Tuesday and had been requested by the city council of Hyères is free and without a prescription or an appointment. The tests take place on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. this week. Next week it will be in the morning from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m.

Drugs seized at La Turbie - Customs officers have seized 412 kilos of cannabis at the La Turbie pay toll on the A8 motorway. As trafficking between Spain and Italy via the Alpes Maritimes resumes one officer said it was “the biggest post-lockdown seizure”.  

The driver who was unable to explain the presence of the drugs in his vehicle has been placed in police custody and will appear in court in Nice today.

Smoking to be banned on beaches in Marseille - The city of Marseille has announced the introduction of a ban on smoking on the city’s main beaches from Saturday August 15th.

In 2019, the ban was a first in Marseille. The city of La Ciotat was the first in France to ban smokers on one of its beaches in 2011. The measure has since been introduced in many municipalities in France.

9-year-old discovers an explosive in back garden – An explosive dating from 1914 has been discovered by a nine-year-old boy. Dimitri made the discovery while using his metal detector in his back garden in Aix-en-Provence.

The police established a security perimeter and the demining service is expected on site in the next 48 hours.

National

French Prime Minister Jean Castex - France’s Prime Minister Jean Castex has called for the compulsory wearing of masks in public to be extended as much as possible. Castex listed the new measures decided by the Defense Council during a visit to the University hospital of Montpellier on Tuesday. Castex said that he was going to ask prefects around the country to approach local elected officials to extend the obligation to wear a mask in public as much as possible adding, that he was in favour of "screening in tourist and seaside areas" and above all he announced that the ban on gatherings of more than 5,000 people was to be renewed until October 30th.

Drowning - While French health authorities reported a drop in the number of drownings over June and July this year compared to previous years, attributed partly due to swimming pools being closed during the Covid-19 lockdown they are however, calling for vigilance and warn that drowning remains the number one cause of accidental death for young people under 25.

Figures published have shown that nearly 596 cases of drowning incidents have been recorded in France between June 1st and August 4th.

47% of emergency visits concerned children under 6, and 12% those 65 and over. As expected, it’s the coastal regions which have seen the highest number of emergencies.

 

Business

According to a White House document President Donald Trump’s executive order banning China’s TikTok could prevent U.S. app stores from offering the popular short-video app and make advertising on the platform illegal.

The White House document, sent out to supporters last week, provides insight into the Trump administration’s thinking. It shows the U.S. government is considering disrupting key aspects of TikTok’s operations and funding, amid concerns over the safety of personal data that the app handles.

Britain is to be officially declared in recession for the first time since the financial crash with figures set to show the COVID-19 crisis triggered a record economic slump.

The dramatic 21% downturn between April and June - the worst in western Europe - is expected to be confirmed by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) on Wednesday after a 2.2% fall in the first three months of 2020.

And - A post-Brexit trade deal between the UK and Japan may have met an unlikely obstacle - stilton cheese.

The two sides had said on Friday that they hoped to agree the details of a post-Brexit trade agreement by the end of the month.

The Department for International Trade said talks are ongoing

Dairy and other food products are among the EU's biggest exports to Japan.

Sport

Football - Wolves' Europa League dream came to a heartbreaking end as Sevilla beat them 1-0 on Tuesday evening.

Cricket - England bowler Stuart Broad has been fined 15% of his match fee for using "inappropriate language" during the first Test against Pakistan. The incident occurred during Pakistan's second innings on Saturday.

Tennis - Former world number one Serena Williams recovered from a set and three break points down to beat Bernarda Pera in her first match in six months. Williams will next play her sister Venus Williams.

Boxing - Former heavyweight champion Mike Tyson's return to the boxing ring has been delayed until 28 November. The fight was scheduled to take place on 12th September  but will now be on the United States' Thanksgiving weekend.

The 54-year-old will face former four-weight world champion Roy Jones Jr in Los Angeles.

Weather

Clear skies and sunshine with highs of 29 in Nice, Antibes and Cannes reaching 32 degrees in Saint Tropez and the Var with a light variable wind.

This evening going down to 22 degrees in the Alpes Maritimes and 19 degrees in the Var.

Outlook for Thursday and Friday fine along the coast with highs of 32 degrees possible showers inland in the Alpes Maritimes on Thursday afternoon.

Last local news

Evening Update Thursday 28th March 2024

Seven people have been questioned by police in a fraud investigation relating to the loss of almost half a million euros by Nice university hospital.... Evening Update Thursday 28th March 2024 Read More

28/03/2024

French and Riviera News Thursday 28th March 2024

France's prime minister Gabriel Attal has announced that a teenage girl who falsely accused her headteacher of striking her in a heated exchange over... French and Riviera News Thursday 28th March 2024 Read More

28/03/2024

Evening Update Wednesday 27th March 2024

The mayor of Nice, Christian Estrosi, has asked for national police reinforcements to help bring the Les Moulins housing estate under control.... Evening Update Wednesday 27th March 2024 Read More

27/03/2024

French and Riviera News Wednesday 27th March 2024

The headmaster of a high school in Paris has resigned after receiving death threats on social media following an altercation with a student, which dat... French and Riviera News Wednesday 27th March 2024 Read More

27/03/2024

Evening Update Tuesday 26th March 2024

More than 20 secondary schools on the Riviera have been targeted by bomb alerts today, forcing some of them to stay closed all day.... Evening Update Tuesday 26th March 2024 Read More

26/03/2024