With the rainy and typhoon seasons approaching, local leaders are acting to prevent such natural events from facilitating the spread of the novel coronavirus at evacuation shelters.
June traditionally marks the start of the rainy season in most of the nation, while typhoons normally start to arrive in August. In recent years, floods, mudslides, high winds and typhoons have severely damaged multiple regions, including in Chiba, Kyoto, Okayama and Hiroshima prefectures, Hokkaido and parts of Kyushu. The disasters forced tens of thousands into crowded evacuation centers, but such a move now would pose the additional risk of COVID-19 infections.
Earlier this week, to address concerns that another wave of coronavirus outbreaks could occur after a natural disaster, the Cabinet Office issued a series of recommendations for reducing the risk of such infections.