Fear of Coronavirus is More Dangerous Than Actual Coronavirus, NYC Councilman Says

Just recently, an Asian American wearing a face mask was attacked at the Grand Street station in Manhattan’s Chinatown by an African American man who called her a “diseased b*tch.”

 

A clip of the incident filmed by a woman who tried to intervene has since been reposted on social media. In it, the masked woman is seen chasing the man after he allegedly hit her on the head.

“No one stepped in as she was getting beaten with an umbrella until I pulled him off. He ran out of the station shortly after,” said Gin, the woman who filmed the scene. “I truly believe that wearing a mask in NYC right now marks you as a target. So please be careful, and stand up for your friends.”

The subway incident has not been resolved to date. Treyger said that at this point, the hate and fear surrounding the coronavirus may be more dangerous to New Yorkers than the disease itself, according to WCBS Newsradio 880.

“There was a very disturbing video shared, where a woman, an Asian-American woman, that was attacked on a subway station in Chinatown simply because she was Asian-American wearing a mask because she was fearful for her health,” he said, according to the outlet. “That is not acceptable.”

Unfortunately, there appear to be more cases of hate elsewhere in the city. According to Treyger, he has heard anecdotes from schools of an “uptick in anti-Asian American slurs.”

“No student or staff member in our schools should be subjected to bigotry or bullying because of who they are,” he said, according to Bklyner. “This is the time of year that we’re actually celebrating everything wonderful about the Asian American community, and this is a time of year to not only celebrate Lunar New Year but also to recognize all the amazing, wonderful contributions Asian Americans have made to our city and our country.”

Meanwhile, business owners in Chinatown have already seen a drop in income.

“People die in the United States from the flu and I don’t see people rushing to get a flu shot. Every day we cross the road and get hit by a car, those odds are even higher than coronavirus and I don’t see people stopping to cross the street so we are doing the most to help promote Chinatown. So, come down on Valentine’s Day,” said Wellington Chen of the Chinatown Partnership, according to NY1.

So far, three people under investigation for the 2019-nCoV in New York City have tested negative. Two more await results, CBS New York reported.

“New York City is on high alert and prepared to handle any confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus,” Mayor Bill de Blasio said earlier this week. “My message to New Yorkers remains the same: if you have the travel history and are exhibiting symptoms, please see your health provider immediately.”

Feature Images: ntdtv.com via 法轮功真相 (left; screenshot), @TonyySays (right; screenshot)