Masks have become a divisive political issue in the United States of America.
Despite polls seeming to indicate that an increasing number of Americans are indeed wearing masks when leaving their homes, some have argued that they "impair individual freedom," writes the Guardian.
Watch this Costco worker stand up to a customer who refused to wear a mask:For many, Tom Hanks' COVID-19 diagnosis was a significant moment towards the start of the pandemic - a stark reminder that the virus was spreading and becoming a lived reality for us all. Hanks revealed the news to his fans on social media at the time, writing, "Hello, folks. Rita Wilson and I are down here in Australia. We felt a bit tired, like we had colds, and some body aches. Rita had some chills that came and went. Slight fevers too. To play things right, as is needed in the world right now, we were tested for the Coronavirus, and were found to be positive."
And now, the 63-year-old actor has issued a message to his fellow Americans in the midst of the coronavirus response: wear a mask.
"There’s really only three things we can do in order to get to tomorrow: Wear a mask, social distance, wash our hands," Hanks said at a press conference to promote his new movie Greyhound, per People.
"Those things are so simple, so easy, if anybody cannot find it in themselves to practice those three very basic things – I just think shame on you. Don’t be a p----. Get on with it, do your part. It’s very basic. If you’re driving a car, you don’t go too fast, you use your turn signal and you avoid hitting pedestrians. My Lord, it’s common sense."
Hanks also gave an update on how he and his wife Rita Wilson have fared in the months since they were diagnosed with COVID-19;
"Oh, as the canaries in the coal mine for the COVID-19 experience, we are fine.
"We had about 10 days of very uncomfortable symptoms. Not life-threatening, we’re happy to say. We were isolated in order to keep an eye on ourselves because if our temperatures had spiked, if our lungs had filled, if any number of things had gone wrong with this, we would have needed expert medical care. We didn’t. I guess we were model recoverers from COVID-19, but we were also isolated so that we would not give it to anybody else that we came in contact with, and since then have been doing the same isolating, social distancing that is being asked of the world so, we are fine."
So yes, Tom Hanks' message to America was simple: make sure that you're doing your part.
