As municipalities continue to battle against the novel coronavirus, many are thinking ahead, preparing for scenarios on how they would evacuate vulnerable people, including older people and people with disabilities who need help leaving their homes, if and when disasters like earthquakes and floods strike.
Authorities are asking people to check what they need to do in case of an emergency, such as knowing the locations of designated evacuation shelters for those in need, and urging them to keep in mind that staying at home could be an option.
For those in need of special assistance, there are “welfare evacuation centers” that offer barrier-free facilities and qualified staff. But when the city of Omuta, Fukuoka Prefecture, conducted a survey in April on 19 such facilities, only one — a city-run welfare center — responded that it could accept about 10 such evacuees in the case of a disaster.