Arnold Schwarzenegger has branded anyone who turns wearing protective face masks into a “political issue” during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic as an “absolute moron.”
The former Governor of California and Terminator movie star wrote on Twitter on Thursday evening, “Anyone making it a political issue is an absolute moron,” adding that they probably “can’t read.”
The tweet came in support of current California Governor Gavin Newsom‘s latest state policy which requires that citizens wear face masks in public to help mitigate the spread of the life-threatening illness.
Schwarzenegger, 72, said that having people wear personal protective equipment (PPE) in public will “help us beat” the novel coronavirus, while also expressing his belief that it should not be turned into a political debate.
Though the Austrian-American didn’t explicitly name any so-called “morons,” multiple U.S. politicians — including President Donald Trump and Vice President Mike Pence — have appeared reluctant to wear masks in public during the global health crisis.
On May 5, the maskless Republican leader was captured, on camera, during a visit to Arizona’s Honeywell International facility — which actually produces N95 masks. Despite others wearing face coverings in the factory and the use of masks being recommended by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Trump opted not to.
In the video of Trump’s personal tour of the facility, the president can be seen giving a thumbs-up to the camera while Guns N’ Roses‘ 1991 cover of the rock anthem Live and Let Die played in the background.
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Later that month Trump retweeted a post which mocked his 2020 presidential election candidate opponent Joe Biden for wearing a mask.
In response, the former Vice President called the 73-year-old an “absolute fool,” during an interview with CNN.
Within the last six months, almost 120,000 U.S. citizens have died as a result of COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus. Currently, the nation has just under 2.2 million confirmed cases of the life-threatening virus.
“This is 100 per cent the right move,” Schwarzenegger added of Newsom’s recent enforcement.
He continued: “This will help us beat this terrible virus. The science is unanimous — if we all wear masks, we slow down the spread and can reopen safely.”
Questions about COVID-19? Here are some things you need to know:
Symptoms can include fever, cough and difficulty breathing — very similar to a cold or flu. Some people can develop a more severe illness. People most at risk of this include older adults and people with severe chronic medical conditions like heart, lung or kidney disease. If you develop symptoms, contact public health authorities.
To prevent the virus from spreading, experts recommend frequent handwashing and coughing into your sleeve. They also recommend minimizing contact with others, staying home as much as possible and maintaining a distance of two metres from other people if you go out.
In situations where you can’t keep a safe distance from others, public health officials recommend the use of a non-medical face mask or covering to prevent spreading the respiratory droplets that can carry the virus.
For full COVID-19 coverage from Global News, click here.
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