UTSUNOMIYA -- Municipalities busy formulating disaster preparedness plans amid the coronavirus pandemic see containers as a useful tool to isolate sick evacuees.
In Ashikaga, Tochigi Prefecture, where about 730 homes were flooded during Typhoon No. 19 last autumn, the city government signed a contract with container hotel operator Develop Co. to use the company's containers in times of disaster to prevent the risk of infections at evacuation shelters, where closed spaces, crowded areas and close-contact settings are common.
The local government plans to set up containers at evacuation centers and medical hubs to quarantine people who are ill.
The furnished containers, which contain beds and a bathroom, can accommodate two people. Measuring about 13 square meters, the metal structures can easily be transported to evacuation sites.
Develop Co. said it has inked similar contracts with 22 municipalities nationwide and is negotiating with about 20 more.
Other municipalities are trying to secure parking spaces so that evacuees can spend nights in their cars.
During Typhoon No. 19 last October, flooding occurred in Higashi-Matsuyama, Saitama Prefecture. The city government is working to secure space at multilevel parking lots at commercial facilities and parking spaces at a zoo located on a hill as evacuation sites for those with vehicles.
"Previously, we didn't recommend seeking shelter in vehicles over fears that evacuees could develop deep vein thrombosis. But, we have now changed our policy," an official at the city's risk management department said.
In the city of Oyama in Tochigi Prefecture, over 1,300 people spent nights at evacuation shelters when heavy rains hit the Kanto and Tohoku regions five years ago. The local government negotiated with several businesses to secure parking spaces for more than 1,000 cars.
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