If you're forced to evacuate because of a wildfire, earthquake, power outage or other emergency in your area during the coronavirus pandemic, be sure to pay extra attention to your health.
"The most important thing is to be prepared and have a go bag," Jennifer Adrio with the Red Cross Northern California Coastal Region said.
Your go bag should be stocked with plenty of hand sanitizer and face coverings in addition to the other essential supplies, such as water, food, medications and pet supplies.
If you stay with family and friends, make sure to maintain your social distance as best you can and wear masks.
If you have to go to a shelter, make sure to wash your hands regularly, keep your distance from others and avoid high-touch areas. Once you settle in, you should disinfect your area frequently.
Don't expect to see large-scale shelters filled with hundreds of people and buffet-style meals.
"If sheltering is needed, we are finding hotels and putting folks in hotels," Adrio said. "We’re providing food differently than we normally would. We're not doing buffet-style. We're doing contained food. Our volunteers are highly trained [in] how to work in a COVID environment. We will open shelters if needed, but they will be much smaller shelters. Only 50 people in a shelter."
