TORONTO -- A coronavirus-themed party was reportedly held at Queen’s University in Kingston, Ont. last weekend where students dressed in surgical masks and decorated the walls with biohazard signs.

The Queen’s Journal re-published images that were first posted to Instagram from the party, reportedly held last Saturday. The photos show students drinking Corona beers, and a caption under one of the images reads “infect me daddy.”

After the article was published, university principal Patrick Deane issued a statement warning students of an “insidious social challenge already emerging amongst us” and urging them to treat each other with dignity and respect.

“Ignorantly ostracizing Chinese and Asian students will rip apart the beautiful tapestry of our international campus and must be repudiated by everyone,” Deane said in the statement, which did not directly reference the party.

A university spokesperson said the statement was “not specifically issued in response to the regrettable events on the weekend, however it illustrates how important it is that the message is reinforced.”

“Principal Deane’s statement was intended to remind our community not to fall prey to fear and misinformation, and to make every effort to support each other with dignity and respect,” spokesperson Mark Erdman said in a statement.

Instances of racism against Chinese-Canadians have been widely reported following the novel coronavirus outbreak. The same day the coronavirus-themed party was reportedly held, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau warned Canadians against discrimination.

"There is no place in our country for discrimination driven by fear or misinformation," Trudeau said at a Lunar New Year event in Toronto on Saturday. "This is not something Canadians will ever stand for."

International reports of anti-Chinese racism have been on the rise. Restaurants in several Asian countries have refused to serve Chinese customers, and a march was held outside an Indonesian hotel calling on Chinese guests inside to leave. In South Korea, more than 650,000 people have signed an online petition calling for a temporary ban of Chinese visitors.

The coronavirus from China has infected 20,438 people and killed 425 since it emerged on Dec. 31 in Wuhan, according to the latest numbers from China.

With files from The Associated Press