In Singapore, tens of thousands of residents have signed a petition calling for the government to ban Chinese nationals from entering the country. In Hong Kong, South Korea and Vietnam, businesses have posted signs saying that mainland Chinese customers are not welcome. The rapid spread of the coronavirus that has sickened more than 7,700 people — the overwhelming majority in China, with all of the 170 deaths there — has unleashed a wave of panic and, in some cases, outright anti-Chinese sentiment across the globe. While public health officials scramble to contain the crisis — the World Health Organization declared a global health emergency on Thursday — fears over the dangerous outbreak have fueled xenophobia. And the wave of spreading panic has, at times, far outstripped practical concerns.

Source: New York Times January 30, 2020 15:39 UTC