"For Mick Mulvaney to suggest that Americans turn off their TVs and bury their heads in the sand when they’re worried about a global health pandemic is Orwellian, counterproductive, dangerous, and would be repeating China’s mistake," Schumer added.

Mulvaney, speaking at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) on Friday, accused the media of peddling a false narrative about the administration “scrambling” to contain the virus and said the press was ignoring the coronavirus until now because publications were too preoccupied with Trump’s impeachment before that.

The White House official added that to "calm the markets" he would "turn the television off for 24 hours," as fears of a widespread coronavirus outbreak in the United States have roiled Wall Street this week.

Earlier House Democrats received a briefing on the coronavirus, with lawmakers voicing "frustration" afterward about the lack of transparency.