President Trump and several of his Republican allies have repeatedly used terms such as the “Chinese Virus” and the “Wuhan Virus,” which have been condemned as xenophobic and racist.
Now White House official called the novel coronavirus the “Kung-Flu” to CBS News reporter Weijia Jiang’s face, the journalist tweeted on Tuesday.
“This morning a White House official referred to #Coronavirus as the “Kung-Flu” to my face. Makes me wonder what they’re calling it behind my back,” Jiang said.
The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
New York considering a ‘shelter-in-place’ order
New York City residents should be prepared for the possibility of a shelter-in-place order within days, Mayor Bill de Blasio says.
Mr De Blasio said no decision had been made yet, but he wants city and state officials to make a decision within 48 hours, given the fast spread of the coronavirus.
“New Yorkers should be prepared right now for the possibility of a shelter in place order,” Mr de Blasio said at a news briefing.
Governor Andrew Cuomo said earlier on Tuesday he had no interest in imposing local quarantines, but he stopped short of ruling it out.