because of the coronavirus are among a spate of recent racist
incidents linked to the outbreak, say California authorities.
Coronavirus fears have spread even though the US has seen just 15
cases, over half in California.
This week in Los Angeles bullies accused an Asian-American
student of having the virus and badly beat him.
The coronavirus has now reached 24 countries outside China.
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Anxiety and misinformation related to the virus have fuelled anti-
Asian prejudice, Los Angeles authorities said at a press conference.
"Many may be quick to assume that just because someone is Asian
or from China that somehow they are more likely to be carriers of
the virus," said Robin Toma, executive director of the LA County
Human Relations Commission.
A Los Angeles Asian-American schoolboy accused by bullies of
having the virus was taken to the hospital after being beaten.
"He went to the hospital originally and went to the emergency
room," Mr Toma said. "They were taking MRIs to ensure he didn't
have a concussion or other harm."
There has been just one case of the virus reported in Los Angeles
County, which has a population of 10.1 million.
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But in the Los Angeles area, flyers with counterfeit seals for the
World Health Organization (WHO) have been posted.
They advised residents to avoid Asian-American businesses like
Panda Express because of the coronavirus.
In the nearby Alhambra area, 14,000 people have signed a petition
urging school closures over the virus.
And in a now-deleted Instagram post on "managing fears and
anxiety", the University of California, Berkeley health services
department listed xenophobia as a "normal" reaction amid a virus
outbreak.
The prejudicial attacks could worsen given the possibility that the
virus will spread in US communities in the coming weeks, said Mr
Toma.
Similar incidents have been reported worldwide, including Canada,
the UK and France.
But coronavirus cases are not rising dramatically outside China, the
WHO has said.
There was also no major shift in the coronavirus' pattern of
mortality or severity, according to the WHO.
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