**1. Introduction**

Currently, the infection of COVID-19 is spreading all over the world. As of April 21, 2021, the number of infected people worldwide has exceeded 140 million and the death toll has exceeded 3 million [1]. The infection has spread by an order of magnitude compared to the SARS infections of 8,096 and deaths of 794 [2] that prevailed in 2003, and the MARS infections of 971 and deaths of 356 [3] that prevailed in 2012. The development of therapeutic drugs and vaccines is progressing all over the world, and inoculation is progressing [4], but it has not yet ended in some countries such as Japan and India.

In Japan, which is a disaster-prone country, there are concerns about the occurrence of natural disasters such as earthquakes, tsunamis, and typhoons during the period when COVID-19 is spreading. Especially in recent years, disasters such as the 2011 off the Pacific coast of Tohoku Earthquake, the 2016 Kumamoto Earthquake, and the heavy rains in western Japan in 2018, have become more severe and frequent. When such disasters occur, schools and public halls become shelters and many residents evacuate [5, 6]. In these past disasters, the spread of infection in shelters has become a problem. Although the Basic Act on Disaster Countermeasures requires improvement of the living environment in shelters, such as distribution of food, clothing, medicines, and provision of health care

services (Article 86–6), specific measures against infectious diseases have not been mentioned. In addition, outbreaks in shelters can be larger under COVID-19 than infectious diseases after previous natural disaster because some people have not taken COVID-19 vaccine yet. It is also possible that people are more likely to suffer damage at home if they do not evacuate to a shelter for fear of getting infected. 90% of those who died in the heavy rains in western Japan were found at home [7], and it is said that they could not evacuate to a safe place.

Based on this situation, the problem is that human damage caused by both COVID-19 and natural disasters will increase, and it is necessary to consider measures against the occurrence of natural disasters and the shelter management system under COVID-19.

Therefore, our research question is, "What is the current situation regarding the shelter management in Japanese local governments under COVID-19?" This research will contribute to realize effective disaster countermeasures under COVID-19.
