TOKYO, Jan. 12 – The Japanese government on Thursday designated a powerful earthquake that jolted central Japanese prefecture of Ishikawa and its vicinity a “disaster of extreme severity,” boosting subsidies for reconstruction process in affected communities, local media reported.
Prime Minister Fumio Kishida’s government aims to provide larger financial support for local authorities to implement measures such as the speedy reconstruction of roads and farmland following the magnitude-7.6 quake that struck on Jan. 1, Kyodo News reported.
As of 2 p.m. local time on Thursday, the death toll rose to 213 in the hardest-hit prefecture while a total of 37 people remained unaccounted, according to local authorities.
Meanwhile, the Ishikawa prefectural government on Thursday launched a body to implement measures to prevent the spread of infectious diseases in evacuation centers, the report said.
According to the health ministry, as of Tuesday, around 70 cases of respiratory diseases such as COVID-19 and influenza had been reported, and around 40 cases of gastrointestinal illnesses, including norovirus infections.
More than 26,000 people remain in evacuation following the New Year’s quake that registered a maximum 7 on the country’s seismic intensity scale, according to media reports.
