THE HAGUE: A Dutch DJ has apologised to members of the Chinese community in the Netherlands for playing a song on his radio show that blamed them for the Covid-19 coronavirus, sparking outrage and a nationwide petition. Lex Gaarthuis last week aired the satirical song called “Prevention is better than Chinese” – using a play on the words for “Chinese” and “cure“, which sound similar in Dutch. Gaarthuis, who originally apologised on Saturday, admitted he had made “a big mistake” on his programme “Laat met Lex” (Late with Lex) on Monday. World health authorities warned on Tuesday that the coronavirus – first identified in the central Chinese city of Wuhan – was a “very grave threat” globally. The death toll from the coronavirus has topped 1,100 in China with more than 44,000 people infected.

Source: New Strait Times February 12, 2020 02:18 UTC