Although officials are stating the risk of transmission for coronavirus is low in Canada, a human rights representative says fear and racism is spreading.

Executive Director of the Human Rights Commission in NL, Carey Majid says misinformation being spread through social media is leading to panic and discrimination.

She says stories have been popping up about kids being bullied in school. In France, it has been called the “yellow fever.” People of Chinese or Asian decent who are Canadian or British are reporting stories of being shunned in public.

Majid cited a tweet from the chief public health officer of Canada saying not to make assumptions about people, to be careful of the type of language you use—especially around children—and go to trusted and verified sites to get the right information.