Riviera Radio Weekend News Saturday 4th April 2020

Local 

Woman falls from 5th floor in Nice - A 22 year old woman has been taken to hopsital in a ctritical condition after falling from the 5th floor of an apartment block in Nice. The accident occurred in the early hours of this morning on boulevard Raimbaldi. The woman was immediately taken to the emergency department of Pasteur. An investigation has been opened.

Coronavirus - 14,000 people have been cured and have left hopstial in France after being diaognosed with the coronavirus since the begining of the epidemic. Figures show that while new cases are reported everyday for the first time, over the last few days, there have been fewer patients admited to intensive care in France.  

7,140 people tested positive for COVID 19 coronavirus in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region, according to the last point on Friday evening from the Public Health agency France. 

According to the situation report of April 2, 1,606 people positive for COVID 19 are hospitalized in Provence-Alpes-Côte-d'Azur, 396 are in intensive care. 161 people died.

Measures tightened against the coronavirus - On all fronts measures are being taken in the region in the fight against the virus, the mayor of Cannes has announced in particular that laser thermometers will control people's temperature at the entrance to shops.

From next week in Cannes measures will be implemented including barriers in main public places and all schools.

In total, 10,000 masks were supplied to the public and private medical sector. The hopsital in Cannes now has the capacity to increase to 23 beds in intensive care. The service currently receives six patients, some of whom come from other cities or other regions. 

The disinfection of places frequented by the public, hospitals, clinics, medical offices, pharmacies is an additional element which complements confinement and barrier gestures, and helps stem the spread of the virus. Before the end of the confinement period , the city will carry out a disinfection of public places by drone, but also a disinfection of private places. 

The mayor of Nice Christian Estrosi has announced that as the Easter holidays approach he has decided to tighten certain measures: "As the Easter holidays approach and in view of the peaks announced by the health authorities, I wish to strengthen the provisions even more in order to ensure the good of all and that no unprofessional or priority, is not carried out on our territory ".

The mayor of Nice therefore immediately takes a municipal decree prohibiting all AirBnB type rental activities (except accommodation already occupied within the confinement) and hotel accommodation in Nice for holiday purposes, during the Easter holiday period.

Another order is made concerning the closure of hypermarkets on Sundays. This decree does not concern neighborhood supermarkets.

In addition, he sensitized the state authorities so that they can ask Enedis to verify that the second homes are not occupied during the holiday period, in order to enforce the confinement period.

Finally, the mayor of Nice asked the prefect to strengthen controls at tolls and exits of motorways giving access to Nice and the Metropolis, to avoid the arrival of people from zone C whose holidays begin this evening and to multiply the filtering at train stations and airports.

La Poste cash points in the Var -  La Poste had to close many of its rural offices, and with them, ATMs. In the Var, the situation has penalised the inhabitants, who often have to travel long distances to withdraw money.

To adapt to the coronavirus epidemic, La Poste has greatly reduced its service, closing its offices, mainly in rural areas, and ceasing to supply its adjoining distributors.

"This has been going on for more than 15 days, resumes the former councilor. I ask for a certain fairness in the distribution of means because it is extremely penalizing for the inhabitants, who have to go to Draguignan to withdraw money."

Pastries - Nadia Sammut, head of the world's first gluten-free star restaurant in Cadenet (Vaucluse), is launching a crowdfunding operation to offer pastries to caregivers in the region. Nearly 1,000 cakes have already been distributed.

In her workshop in Cavaillon, which opened nine months ago and which usually delivers gluten-free cookies and flours throughout France, Nadia has put on a mask in addition to her charlotte. Every day, she makes cakes for caregivers.

National 

France's biggest food market warehouse has been fitted out to store victims of the coronavirus - Hearses began to arrive on Friday afternoon at Rungis market, just south of Paris, where one of its giant warehouses has been used to store the bodies of patients who have died from complications linked to coronavirus.

The refrigerated hall, requisitioned by the government and run by a funeral service, has hundreds of camp beds lined up, a space accomodating up to 1,000 coffins.

The prefecture of police in Paris stated that this solution was the best way to hygenically store bodies, in a dignified way under the circumstances.

As of Monday 6 April, a special area will be set up where families can come and send off their loved ones, before they are transported to cemeteries or crematoriums.

Hospitals - Hospitals around France are experiencing difficulties to deal with the number of deaths from the virus, and some have even turned to hiring refrigerated shipping containers placed in parking lots to store bodies until they can be transported away to funeral homes.

Hospital CGT union spokesperson Barbara Filhol told France Televisions that staff members working in these conditions were particularly shocked to see temporary buildings being used in this way.

Meanwhile, two trains kitted out with medical equipment  will arrive in Brittany on Sunday, transporting a number of Covid-19 patients from Ile de France to ease the strain on hospital and funeral services.

Elsewhere in Europe, ice skating rinks have been transformed into morgues. Planet Ice in Milton Keynes in the UK has been ear-marked for funeral directors to cope with the rise in coronavirus-related deaths.

 

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