Chinese envoy in NYC warns against overreaction to coronavirus outbreak

A Chinese envoy in New York said Tuesday that all measures for curbing the novel coronavirus being taken by various countries can be understood but "should be taken on scientific bases" and that those countries should "not overreact".

"We understand the measures from different countries taken since [the coronavirus] outbreak, but I believe all those measures should be on scientific bases," Huang Ping, Chinese consul general in New York, said at a news conference.

"Since the outbreak, many countries have taken measures in prevention and control, but I think the guidance from the World Health Organization is very important," he said, quoting WHO's advice against restricting travel or business.

WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said Monday there was no need for measures that "unnecessarily interfere with international travel and trade" in trying to halt the virus' spread.

"We call on all countries to implement decisions that are evidence based and consistent," he told the WHO executive board in Geneva, reiterating his message from last week when he declared an international emergency.

Huang praised the United Nations' agency's guidance, saying, "We should follow the guidance of the WHO and not overreact."

The WHO's latest data show that the novel coronavirus, officially named 2019-nCoV, has infected 24,000 people globally, 99 percent of whom are in China. According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 11 cases are confirmed in the country, and three suspected cases are under investigation in New York City.

The Chinese Consulate General in New York on Saturday issued a notice calling on all Chinese residents from Hubei province who recently arrived in the consular district to report personal necessary information to the consulate, including name, phone number, address and whether they have a cough and fever. The consular district covers 10 states in the eastern US, including New York, Massachusetts and Pennsylvania. About 150 cases have been reported in 23 countries outside China.

"We have now collected more than 200 persons' information, and they are all in good condition," said Huang. "We will get ready to help when help is needed."

One confirmed case was reported on Saturday in Boston. Huang said the infected individual is in good condition. "I personally went to Boston yesterday," he said. "And I was so happy to learn the student's condition is very stable."

According to officials in Boston, the young man, a Chinese national, recently traveled to Wuhan, China, and sought medical care soon after his return to Massachusetts. He has been isolated since his return and will continue to remain in isolation until cleared by public health officials.

"I want to remind everyone that it is possible for anyone to get a virus and become sick. We want to make sure we are not letting fear of the coronavirus get the best of us," tweeted Boston Mayor Marty Walsh on Saturday. "We will always treat everyone with compassion and respect."

Commenting on media reports of prejudice against Chinese people amid the outbreak, Huang said that such behavior should be condemned. "The enemy is not the Chinese but the virus. People should be united together to deal with this," he said.

"We have been working very closely with the international community and sharing information in joint efforts to deal with the disease," the envoy said.

Huang said China has invited experts from the WHO and other countries to come to China to study the virus.

"The US government has expressed the willingness to send experts to join the WHO team. We are looking forward to it and are thankful for that," he said.