Paris: Authorities in Paris have announced temporary restrictions on public alcohol consumption and takeaway alcohol sales as France continues to battle an intense heatwave that has placed growing pressure on hospitals and emergency services.
The measures were introduced after officials warned that healthcare facilities in the French capital were approaching capacity due to a sharp rise in heat-related medical emergencies.
Patrice Faure, head of the Paris police, said that the restrictions were necessary to help reduce pressure on hospitals as admissions continued to increase. Faure noted that authorities needed to ease the burden on emergency services amid the ongoing extreme weather.
Under the temporary measures, drinking alcohol in public will be prohibited from 12 noon to 7 am on June 26 and again during the same hours from June 27 and 28. The ban does not apply to restaurants and cafés with outdoor seating. Sales of takeaway alcohol will also be suspended from 6 pm to 7 pm on both Friday and Saturday nights.
France’s Health Minister, Stéphanie Rist, stated that Paris ambulance services recorded four times the usual number of cardiac arrests over a 24-hour period. Rist added that young people were also among those suffering cardiac arrests linked to the extreme heat.
Paris recorded a June temperature record of 40.9°C (105.6°F) on June 24, while temperatures remained close to 40°C on June 25.
The heatwave has claimed a heavy toll across France. Since the onset of the extreme weather, at least 48 people have died from drowning, while three young children have died after being left in hot vehicles.
City authorities have implemented several measures to help residents cope with the heat. Public alcohol sales had already been prohibited at some outdoor events, many schools have closed, and parks have been kept open throughout the day and night to provide cooler public spaces.
The extreme temperatures have also affected major tourist attractions. The Eiffel Tower and the Louvre Museum have reduced their opening hours because of the severe heat.
More than 44 million people, out of France’s population of 67 million, have been placed under the country’s highest red heat alert during the week.
The soaring temperatures have also disrupted other sectors. Two nuclear reactors were shut down on Thursday to prevent releasing excessively warm cooling water into rivers already affected by the heat.
Earlier in the week, the heatwave also caused the deaths of hundreds of thousands of birds at poultry farms in Brittany and the Pays de la Loire regions. Forecasters expect the intense heat to persist across France for at least several more days, with authorities continuing to monitor the impact on public health and essential services.
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