LOS ANGELES (REUTERS) - As the United States authorities stepped up calls for Americans to move beyond hand-washing and isolate themselves as much as possible, pop stars Taylor Swift and Ariana Grande and actor Arnold Schwarzenegger added their voices to celebrities appealing for drastically reduced social interactions.

"I'm seeing lots of get-togethers and hangs and parties still happening. This is the time to cancel plans, actually truly isolate as much as you can," Swift posted on social media on Sunday (March 15). "It's a really scary time, but we need to make sacrifices right now," the Fearless singer said.

She also shared a picture of her cat Meredith with the caption: "For Meredith, self- quarantining is a way of life. Be like Meredith."

Terminator star and former California governor Schwarzenegger posted a video of himself at his kitchen table hugging his two pets - miniature horse Whiskey and donkey Lulu.

"We don't go out. We don't go to restaurants. We don't do anything like that anymore here," he said on Sunday. "Stay at home as much as possible. Listen to the experts, ignore the morons."

Singer-songwriter Grande appeared to be responding to social-media postings at the weekend of people bragging about frequenting bars, restaurants and public places in spite of the coronavirus outbreak.

"It is incredibly dangerous and selfish to take this situation that lightly," the 7 Rings singer with 177 million Instagram followers posted. "Please don't turn a blind eye.