False: Nancy Pelosi was standing in the streets of Chinatown in San Francisco saying "coronavirus is totally exaggerated."

By: Nikita Kochhar
September 16 2020

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Pelosi urged people to shop and eat there at a time when tourism was suffering because of the coronavirus, but never said it's exaggerated.US President Donald Trump, during ABC town hall on Sept.15, falsely accused House Speaker Nancy Pelosi of saying, “This thing (coronavirus) is totally exaggerated.” As per Trump, the statement was made by Pelosi during her trip to San Francisco’s Chinatown on Feb. 24. Pelosi never suggested that coronavirus did not exist. She said, “We want to be careful how we deal with it (coronavirus). But we do want to say to people, come to Chinatown. Here we are, again, careful, safe, and come join us.” She stressed the need for “prevention, prevention, prevention” and urged people to be “concerned and vigilant,” but not “afraid.” Through her tour, Pelosi was attempting to quell fears about the outbreak of the coronavirus, which had kept customers out of shops and restaurants and tourists away from the streets. Trump mischaracterized and exaggerated what she said during her visit. The COVID-19 pandemic has given rise to a lot of potentially dangerous misinformation. For reliable advice on COVID-19 including symptoms, prevention and available treatment, please refer to the World Health Organisation or your national healthcare authority.