Schwarzenegger: 'Just Do It' When It Comes To Wearing COVID-19 Face Coverings
SAN FRANCISCO (CBS SF/AP) -- Using a catch phase made popular by sporting goods giant Nike, former California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger advice to state residents when it comes to wearing COVID-19 face masks was very simple -- 'Just Do It'.
In a public service announcement airing on television stations across the state Monday, Schwarzenegger is joined by fellow former governors Jerry Brown, Gray Davis and Pete Wilson in urging the use of face masks to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
"This is not about being weak," Schwarzenegger says as he holds up a mask in the ad. Current Gov. Gavin Newsom also appears in the announcement.
The campaign is in support of Newsom's decision last week to require residents wear masks. He said not enough people were choosing to wear them in public despite the urging of health officials that face coverings will help stop the spread of coronavirus.
"Simply put, we are seeing too many people with faces uncovered – putting at risk the real progress we have made in fighting the disease," Newsom said at the time. "California's strategy to restart the economy and get people back to work will only be successful if people act safely and follow health recommendations."
The new guidance requires people to wear a mask while waiting in lines, riding public transportation, and walking in common areas where physical distancing is not possible, among other scenarios.
The message from the former governors — two Republicans and two Democrats — is that nobody wants to wear masks but COVID-19 is still spreading and halting it is important to keeping people safe, reopening businesses and putting people back to work.
"Just do it," Schwarzenegger says.
Newsom said in a statement that science shows that face coverings and masks work.
"Simply put, we are seeing too many people with faces uncovered -- putting at risk the real progress we have made in fighting the disease," he said.
