News Update: Breaking News Coronavirus cases have escalated in the U.S

• President Donald Trump on Thursday again referred to the coronavirus as the 'China virus'  and again blamed the country for the diseases origins
• He didn't rule out repercussions for Beijing for with holding information early on 
• 'I don’t want to comment on that right now,' he said 
• President Trump on Wednesday defended his use of the term 'China virus' to describe the coronavirus, saying 'it's not racist at all'
• 'It's not racist at all. It comes from China, that's why. It comes from China. I want to be accurate,' he said  
• His use of the term comes after Beijing expelled three American journalists from several major news outlets  
• Trump said Tuesday that he thinks calling coronavirus the 'Chinese virus' is appropriate because the disease originated in Wuhan, China
• Trump said that 'rather than having an argument,' about where it originated, he would 'have to call it where it came from'
• 'It did come from China. So I think it's a very accurate term,' he said
• Chinese officials are floating the conspiracy that those in the U.S. Army brought coronavirus to China during the Military World Games in Wuhan in October 2019
• When asked about the stigma around calling it the 'Chinese virus,' Trump said the real 'stigma is 'saying that our military gave it to them'  
• Beijing condemned Washington for linking the coronavirus with China 
• Coronavirus symptoms: what are they and should you see a doctor?

President Donald Trump on Thursday again used the term 'China virus' to describe the coronavirus, defying those who call the term racist.

'We continue our relentless effort to defeat the Chinese virus,' he announced after he entered the White House briefing room. 

He repeated his argument that China is to blame for the original spread of the virus. The country has been criticized for not sharing enough information about the disease early on in the crisis. 

'Certainly the world is paying a big price for what they did, and the world is playing a very big price for not letting them come out. Everybody knows that, we all know that,' the president said.

He didn't rule out repercussions for Beijing.  

'I don’t want to comment on that right now,' he said when asked.

On Thursday, China, for the first time, reported no new coronavirus cases from the day before, which was seen as a positive sign in their battle against the disease. 

There have been concerns, however, that the information may not be accurate.

President Trump said he 'hopes' it's true.  

'As far as leaving what they are putting out now, I hope it's true. Who knows? But I hope it's true, I really do,' the president said.

President Trump has defended his use of the term 'China virus,' saying Wednesday 'it's not racist at all.'

The president, repeatedly this week, has talked about the 'China virus,' a moniker that has been called racist. China expelled journalists from three major American news outlet in the wake of Trump's words. 

Trump, who started his Wednesday briefing by saying he had 'important developments in our war against the Chinese virus,' told reporters at the White House he used the description because the virus originated in Wuhan province of China. 

'It's not racist at all. It comes from China, that's why. It comes from China. I want to be accurate,' he said during a press briefing.

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And he argued he wasn't being racist to any Asian Americans with the term. 

'I have a great love for all the people from our country, but as you know, China tried to say at one point that - maybe they've stopped now - that it was caused by American soldiers. That can't happen. It's not going to happen. Not as long as I'm president. It comes from China,' he said.

Some Chinese officials have pushed a conspiracy theory that the American military brought the coronavirus to their shores. Medical experts believe it originated in a meat market in Wuhan where exotic animals were butchered. 

And while President Trump argued the coronavirus came from China, he said he doesn't believe Beijing inflicted it on America but added Chinese officials could have issued an earlier warning.

'No, I don’t believe they are inflicting I think they could have given us a lot earlier notice,' he said. 

He also did not condemn a White House official who called the disease the 'Kung flu' and said he wasn't worried about Asian Americans being put at risk in the wake of such rhetoric.

'Not all,' Trump said and then returned to his argument the virus came from China. 'I think they probably grew that 100 per cent. It comes from China.'

Weijia Jiang, a reporter for CBS News, claimed on Tuesday a White House official referred to coronavirus as the 'Kung Flu' right to her face. Jiang was born in China and raised in West Virginia.

Such comments have been condemned as racist. 

Earlier Wednesday, President Trump tripled down on using the term in a series of tweets. 

'I will be having a news conference today to discuss very important news from the FDA concerning the Chinese Virus!,' the president wrote. 

'I always treated the Chinese Virus very seriously, and have done a very good job from the beginning, including my very early decision to close the “borders” from China - against the wishes of almost all. Many lives were saved. The Fake News new narrative is disgraceful & false!,' he added. 

The president appeared to be pushing back at reports his response to the pandemic has taken on a more serious tone in recent days. 

Trump has been criticized for minimizing the disease in its early days but told reporters on Tuesday he's 'always' taken it seriously.

'I've always known this is a real - this is a pandemic. I felt it was a pandemic long before it was called a pandemic,' he said during a press briefing on the virus. 

The number of coronavirus cases in the US has dramatically increased in the last two weeks

All 50 states have reported cases of COVID19, with New York, Washington and California badly hit

President Trump's use of the phrase 'China virus' comes as tensions have escalated between Washington and Beijing in the wake of the trade war started by the president and the battle surrounding the origins of the coronavirus.

And China has taken retaliatory measures against the United States. Officials there announced on Tuesday Beijing would expel American journalists working for The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal and The Washington Post.

'I'm not happy to see it. I have my own disputes with all three of those media groups. I think you know that very well. I don't like seeing it at all, I'm not happy about that at all,' Trump said Wednesday of the expelled journalists.  

The United State also has expelled Chinese journalists. Last month, the Trump administration posed limits on the number of Chinese citizens who can work in the U.S. for five state-run Chinese news outlets that are seen as propaganda machines.   

The limits by the White House - capping the number of Chinese journalists at 100 - will force about 60 Chinese reporters from the United States. 

But Trump's use of the 'China virus' moniker has increased tensions.

After President Trump tweeted on Monday about the 'China virus,' Beijing, the next day, demanded 'the U.S. side correct the mistake immediately and halt its groundless accusations'. 

Trump defended his use of the term, saying Tuesday that he doesn't think it's inappropriate to call the coronavirus the 'Chinese virus' because that's where the disease originated.

The president said he only started referring to the virus, which was first detected in Wuhan, China, in that way after Beijing blamed the U.S. military for bringing the disease to its shores.

'Well China was putting out information, which was false, that our military gave this to them. That was false,' Trump said during a briefing in the White House press room. 'And rather than having an argument, I said I have to call it where it came from. It did come from China.'

'So I think it's a very accurate term,' he continued. 'But, no, I didn't appreciate the fact that China was saying that our military gave it to them. Our military did not give it to anybody.' 

When a reporter said the term 'Chinese Virus' has a stigma around it that is seen as racist, Trump pushed back.

'No, I don't think so. No,' he said, flipping the switch: 'I think saying that our military gave it to them creates a stigma.'