Asian American lawmakers called on their colleagues and the American public not to spread 'xenophobia' or 'rumors' in their response to the coronavirus outbreak.
WASHINGTON – In a press conference outside the Capitol Friday morning, Asian American lawmakers called on their colleagues and the American public not to spread"xenophobia" or"rumors" in their response to theRep. Judy Chu, D-Calif., the chair of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus, slammed"fake news meant to create fear" and"rumors directed at Chinese Americans" stemming from misinformation about the outbreak.
The California Democrat showed reporters a falsified flyer that had circulated in her district with the logos of the World Health Organization, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and Los Angeles County Department of Public Health that instructed residents to boycott certain Asian-owned businesses
According to Chu, business was down 50% in restaurants in her majority-Asian district in the San Gabriel Valley outside Los Angeles. The lawmakers, health experts, and community advocates assembled for the press conference emphasized that the virus, which has been named COVID-19, was spread by exposure to infected individuals, not ethnicity.
Mitch Wolfe, chief medical officer at the CDC, told reporters, "stigma is the enemy of public health."
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