Mosque as a COVID-19 vaccination site in collaboration with a private clinic: A short report from Osaka, Japan.

Ethnic minorities are vulnerable to disasters, including the COVID-19 pandemic. Vaccination strategies that do not leave ethnic minorities behind are required. This is a report on the use of Osaka Islamic Center, a mosque, as a group vaccination site for an ethnic minority group in Osaka, Japan, from August to September 2021.

COVID-19 vaccination at a mosque with multilingual and religious considerations for ethnic minorities: A case study in Kanagawa, Japan.

During a disaster, such as a pandemic, ethnic minorities tend to be left behind due to linguistic and religious differences. In the COVID-19 vaccination process, measures to include them are necessary, including the utilization of their resources and networks. The functions and challenges of such measures should be explored in real-world cases.

Mosque as a vaccination site for ethnic minority in Kanagawa, Japan: leaving no one behind amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Ethnic minorities with different languages and religions are potentially vulnerable not only during natural hazard-related disasters, but also during the COVID-19 pandemic. Their vaccination coverage may be lower, and vaccination strategies should prevent them from being left behind. This report presents the first case in Japan where a mosque, being the hub of foreign Muslims, was used as a vaccination site from the end of July 2021.

Mosques in Japan responding to COVID-19 pandemic: Infection prevention and support provision.

Religious activities tend to be conducted in enclosed, crowded, and close-contact settings, which have a high potential of transmitting the coronavirus disease, 2019 (COVID-19); therefore, religious communities are expected to take appropriate infection prevention measures. Meanwhile, during past disasters, religious communities have provided various types of support to affected people; hence, their role in disaster risk reduction has received much attention. In this study, we aimed to identify the infection prevention measures and support provision implemented by mosques-Islamic institutions managed and operated mainly by foreign Muslims living in Japan-during the one year from January 2020.

Designing the building space of a shopping street to use as a disaster evacuation shelter during the COVID-19 pandemic: A case study in Kobe, Japan.

This study considers the risk of a natural hazard-induced disaster occurring during a pandemic, such as the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, and develops the idea of utilizing a shopping street with disaster-proof buildings as a temporary evacuation shelter by incorporating countermeasures against the spread of infectious diseases. Using a case study of a shopping street in Kobe, Japan, we estimate shelter capacity by considering the requirement of 6 m of space allotted for each person. The shelter can accommodate 1194 evacuees and provide them with food and drinks for one day, even in the worst case of lifeline disruption.