THE SURGEON General urged the public to stay home, telling black and Latino communities not to drink, smoke or do drugs, and they should "do it for your big mama".

In Friday's White House briefing, Jerome Adams addressed statistics showing that black and Latino communities have been adversely impacted by coronavirus.

Adams asked both communities to "step up".

"Do it for your abuela," he said. "Do it for your granddaddy. Do it for your big mama. Do it for your pop pop."

The Surgeon General said people of color should "avoid alcohol, tobacco and drugs," adding: "We need you to step up."

Adams continued to say that minority Americans also have a disproportionate asthma risk, and held up his inhaler to emphasize how young, healthy-looking individuals could still be in ill health.

"I've been carrying around an inhaler in my pocket for 40 years, out of fear of having a fatal asthma attack.

"I hope that showing you this inhaler shows little kids all across country that they can grow up to be surgeon general one day.

"But I more immediately share it so everyone knows it doesn't matter if you look fit, if you look young, you are still at risk for spreading and dying from coronavirus," he added.

African Americans are at a higher risk of contracting – and being killed by – COVID-19, analysis of data by the Washington Post found.

In Louisiana, for example, the Department of Health reported black people account for 70 per cent of coronavirus deaths in the state, despite making up just 32 per cent of the population.

In New York City, Latinos, who comprise 29% of the city's population, represent nearly 34% of the patients who have died of COVID-19.

Adams added it is "alarming but not surprising", that black and Latino communities are experiencing higher death rates.

One White House correspondent, Yamiche Alcindor, who works for PBS, said many had found Adams' language "highly offensive".

"Some will find this language offensive after Adams stressed that behavior was not the issue for why more black ppl are dying," she added in a tweet.

Others, including a therapist in the Midwest, pointed out many of her patients who are substance users, are white.

Adams was then pressed about his earlier comments by a reporter, who asked why he had used language that some might take offense with.

"We need targeted language to reach the African American community and that is the language I use in my family," Adams responded.

"That was not meant to be offensive, it is the language I use."

Adams added he was asked by Derrick Johnson, head of civil rights organization NAACP (The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People), to reach out to people of color.

"I was asked to dispel the myth that you can't get the coronavirus if you're black," Adams said.

"Black brown, white, whatever color you are, we need you to follow the coronavirus guidelines.

"All Americans need to avoid these substances at all times."

At the press briefing, Fauci defended Adams saying he made "not even a hint of being offensive".

"Don't leave us," Trump then pleaded with Adams, saying he hoped his Surgeon General did not leave for a well-paying job at a private corporation. "You're doing a great job."

Although Adams said more details would be forthcoming on the government's plan to prevent more deaths in the two communities, there were no new details released at the briefing.

Both Adams and Fauci, the US government's coronavirus advisor, have pushed back on President Trump's hopes to re-open the US by the beginning of May.

In an interview on Fox News, Adams said that now was the time to "continue to lean into" social distancing.

"There are places around the country that have seen consistently low levels.

"And as we ramp up testing and can feel more confident that these places actually can do surveillance and can do public health follow-up, some places will be able to think about opening on May 1," Adams said.

"Most of the country will not, to be honest with you, but some will," Adams continued, "And that's how we'll reopen the country: place by place, bit by bit, based on the data."

In an interview with CNN on the same day, Fauci said "the virus decides" when the US will be open again for business.

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