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Officials in Paris are obviously hoping the 2024 Olympics go a bit more smoothly than the edition of the Summer Games that was supposed to be held in Japan in 2020 but was ultimately postponed due to the pandemic. Unfortunately, a different kind of outbreak is looming thanks to the bedbugs that have taken Paris by storm.
Beds were a hot topic of conversation in the initial leadup to the Olympics in Tokyo thanks to the decision to harness an eco-friendly design made of cardboard that forced the company that made them to reassure attendees they’d be able to comfortably engage in certain extracurricular activities the athletes in the Olympic Village are known for engaging in.
However, they’re making headlines for a slightly different reason prior to the 2024 Games in Paris.
Anyone who’s personally dealt with bedbugs doesn’t need to be told just how much of a nightmare your life can devolve into as a result. If you haven’t, you should be wildly grateful and hope that remains the case for the rest of your life, as the pests are blood-sucking demons that are notoriously difficult to eradicate once they’ve made themselves at home.
According to The Washington Post, residents and tourists in Paris have been on high alert in recent weeks thanks to bedbugs that have been spotted on public transportation and inside movie theaters as hotels and Airbnbs in the city do their best to prevent them from taking further hold.
The 2024 Olympics won’t officially kick off until the opening ceremony is held on July 26th, so while Paris theoretically has plenty of time to address the issue, it’s currently serious enough to force the city’s deputy mayor to write a letter to Prime Minister Élisabeth Borne highlighting the need to “put an action plan in place against this scourge.”
When you consider approximately 10,500 athletes from around the world are slated to compete at the Summer Olympics on top of the close to 16 million visitors officials predict could make the trek to Paris while they’re going on, we can only hope they’ll get the situation under control, as it’s hard to think of a better way to spark an international bedbug outbreak.