Coronavirus & Rugby Fans in Monaco

For Rugby fans a match-up between England and Ireland in the Six Nations tournament is not to be missed. And if you are a Brit or Irish person in Monaco, watching it with fellow Rugby aficionados in a Monaco bar is the pinnacle of entertainment.

And so it was at Slammer’s bar where Monaco’s first diagnosed carrier of Coronavirus, a 28 year old, spent fun time with his 23 year old girlfriend from Eze on February 23rd.

Of course the diagnosis came when he was admitted to Princess Grace Hospital 5 days later after he fell ill (his samples sent to Marseilles to be tested came back positive) – and both he and his girlfriend were isolated, he according to Monaco’s strict protocols in the Princess Grace special unit and subsequently in Nice ( she was isolated at her home in Eze; later she had been admitted to Pasteur Hospital, was tested and also found to be carrying the virus).

It turns out they had visited Milan prior to their visit to the Monaco bar which is where they probably contracted the virus.

Small though the risk is, to be safe anyone who was at Slammers bar watching the match on February 23rd between 3.30pm and 5 pm is strongly advised to take their temperature twice daily and watch for symptoms typical of Covid-19 which are: sore throat, cough, fever, respiratory problems and muscular pain.

If you think you are infected or are in doubt stay home and isolate yourself and call 18 in Monaco for assistance.

Basketball

In the interests of public health the Princely government has decided that the EuroCup match between the team AS Monaco Basket and Unics Kazan, scheduled for Wednesday March 4 in Monaco’s Gaston-Médecin hall, will be played behind closed doors or postponed.

The government’s objective is «to maintain the precautionary policy advocated in order to minimize the risk of an epidemic in the Principality».

It is now up to ASM Basket to decide whether to play on March 4th and they have issued a press release:

«The leaders, coaches and players of the Club are very sorry for this situation which transcends the boundaries of sport in matters of public safety. The final decision will be announced very soon».

Return To Classes From Monday March 2

Schools in the Principality are opening normally. However, preventive measures will be applied to minimize the spread of the coronavirus. Parents returning from risk areas are asked not to put children in school or crèche for 14 days from the date of return.

The regions at risk are: China (mainland China, Hong Kong, Macao), Singapore, South Korea, Thailand, Japan, Taiwan, Malaysia, Iran and Italy in the regions of Lombardy, Veneto and Emilia-Romagna. The list of risk areas will be regularly updated.

Hydroalcoholic solutions to aid cleaning and cleanliness will be made available to schools and nurseries. Note that these solutions are not toxic to children.

Government Information on Absences From Work and School Absences

The Government has published the following information:

Regarding employees returning from risk areas, 236 absence requests have been validated in the private sector, 62 in the public and 2 among the self-employed who may now also be compensated for self-containment.

Back-to-school results stated by Christophe Prat, Director General of the Interior Department: 20% absenteeism among the 5,600 students, including 192 cases declared after a stay in a risk zone, 5% among the 858 teachers. In crèches, 9 children were absent for the same reasons.