The attack reportedly took place around 9:30 a.m., Tuesday, March 10, while the woman was walking in Manhattan and was attacked by another woman who was yelling at her for not wearing a mask because she was Asian.
"I am disgusted to hear that a woman of Asian descent was physically assaulted in Manhattan on Tuesday - an attack apparently motivated by the bigoted notion that an Asian person is more likely to carry or transmit the novel coronavirus," said Gov. Andrew Cuomo.
The governor, who made a statement regarding the attack on Wednesday, March 11, said he was directing the State Police Hate Crime Task Force to investigate the crime and to make sure "the assailant is held accountable."
"To be clear: there is zero evidence that people of Asian descent bear any additional responsibility for the transmission of the coronavirus," he added.
The victim was reportedly transported to Bellevue Hospital with a possible dislocated jaw.
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