Hollywood's Robert De Niro, Morgan Freeman ask Americans to wear face masks
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The Hollywood stars are fronting a campaign calling on people in the US to cover their faces to stop the spread of Covid-19.
PHOTOS: AFP
NEW YORK (AFP) - Hollywood actor Robert De Niro wants Americans to wear face masks. So do actor Morgan Freeman and Oscar-winning director Kathryn Bigelow.
The Hollywood stars are fronting a campaign calling on people in the United States to cover their faces to stop the spread of Covid-19.
The donning of masks has become politicised in the country, with many Americans refusing to wear them, following initial conflicting advice about their effectiveness.
US President Donald Trump finally yielded to pressure and was seen wearing one in public on Saturday (July 11) for the first time, even after White House staff tested positive for the virus.
His reluctance came as White House experts leading the fight against the virus have recommended wearing face coverings in public to prevent transmission.
As part of the Mask Up America campaign, Bigelow has helped produce eight 30-second television ads in which different actors implore Americans to cover their faces.
Bigelow, 68, won the Oscar Best Director for war drama The Hurt Locker (2008) and is the only woman to have won the award.
"When you wear a mask, you have my respect. Because your mask doesn't protect you, it protects me," says Freeman, 83, in one of the videos. "I wear my mask to protect you... Mask up, America."
De Niro, actor Jamie Foxx and actress Rosie Perez also offer their voices to the public service campaign.
The campaign was launched by Mr Andrew Cuomo, the governor of New York, where more than 32,000 people have died from Covid-19.
The virus - which is surging in major states such as California, Texas and Florida - has killed more than 137,000 people and infected more than 3.5 million in the US.
