Disaster Drills Held Amid Spread Of Coronavirus
Tokushima Prefecture in western Japan held drills overnight on Monday based on the scenario that a mega earthquake hit the region amid the spread of the novel coronavirus.
Japan observes Disaster Prevention Day on September 1 every year to remember the Great Kanto Earthquake which struck Tokyo in 1923.
Twenty-five locals took part in the exercises at the prefectural disaster center in Kitajima town. On Monday night, they set up cardboard beds and partitions to accommodate evacuees and spent the night there.
On Tuesday, they ran through procedures to receive evacuees. They instructed people to line up while staying 2 meters apart and disinfect their hands before entering living quarters.
The staff also learned how to don protective clothing and lead people who had fevers to separate rooms.
A woman in her 30s who took part said she did not sleep well at the evacuation center but was able to learn more about infection prevention. She said she hopes to be able to put that to use in the case of an emergency.
Prefectural official Hosooka Takuya said measures to prevent infections at evacuation centers have become very important. He said he hopes participants learned from this experience and are able to apply their expertise to future drills.
