Closed since mid-July following the administrative closure of the Isola 2000 shopping mall, the only pharmacy in the resort will welcome the public again from Thursday, July 23. This partial reopening ends several days of uncertainty, while the shopping mall remains inaccessible.
Residents, seasonal workers and tourists will regain access to the Isola 2000 pharmacy from Thursday, July 23. The municipality of Isola and the prefectural authority of the Alpes-Maritimes have announced a partial reopening of the pharmacy, which has been closed for several days due to the administrative closure of the shopping mall where the business is located.
This decision results from work carried out between state services, the municipality and the Regional Health Agency Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur to ensure continuity of care while respecting the safety rules applicable to this public-facing establishment.
The municipal order signed on July 22 authorizes the opening of the pharmacy under specific conditions. Medical prescriptions can be dispensed Monday to Friday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. On Saturdays and Sundays, services will be provided from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and from 3:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.
Access will be via the door on the Tavels side, at the level of the tobacco shop. A municipal officer will be present during opening hours to ensure the safety of users and staff.
A closure that reignited an old conflict
This reopening comes after a particularly turbulent week for the resort. On July 16, the mayor of Isola, Mylène Agnelli, ordered the administrative closure of the shopping mall. Shopkeepers and residents had been informed of this decision the previous evening.
The municipality justifies this measure by the lack of sufficient guarantees concerning fire safety and the management of this private public-facing establishment. The municipal order particularly references the absence of a manager capable of ensuring regulatory obligations and recalls that only some of the owners of commercial premises had signed the agreements necessary for financing the safety system.
This is not a new issue. During summer 2025, the shopping mall had already been closed for similar reasons following the passage of a safety commission mandated by the Alpes-Maritimes prefectural authority. This new decision has further weakened the economic activity of the resort during the peak summer season.
Initially, the pharmacy had benefited from a waiver allowing only the dispensing of prescription medications. The Regional Health Agency ultimately requested complete closure of the pharmacy from July 17, depriving the municipality of its only pharmacy.
Political mobilization to resolve the situation
The pharmacy closure quickly prompted several reactions. The senator for Alpes-Maritimes Dominique Estrosi-Sassone contacted the new Alpes-Maritimes prefect Jean-Marie Girier to organize consultations with all concerned parties. In a statement, the parliamentarian called for all solutions to be explored to ensure “the effective continuation of pharmacy activities”, whether through secure access, a temporary location or any other measure to preserve continuity of care.
A few days later, senator Henri Leroy also called upon the Health Minister. The parliamentarian believed that “security requirements must naturally be fully respected,” but that such a situation could not “permanently compromise access to care in a mountain territory.”
In parallel, Éric Ciotti, in his capacity as president of the Nice Côte d’Azur Metropolis, brought together the mayor of Isola, Mylène Agnelli, representatives of the shopping mall merchants and state services. This meeting resulted in a temporary agreement with the extension, until September 15, of the agreements necessary for the mall’s operation. This solution aims to prepare for a broader reopening while allowing time to build a sustainable framework.
For now, only the pharmacy is benefiting from reopening. The Isola 2000 shopping mall remains closed. The municipality and prefectural authority clarify that this closure will be maintained as long as safety and accessibility requirements are not met and the expected agreements from the owners of commercial units have not been signed.
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