Larry David, the creator of hit television series “Seinfeld” and “Curb Your Enthusiasm,” offered his advice Tuesday to “idiots” leaving their homes during the ongoing coronavirus pandemic: Stay inside and watch TV.
Mr. David made the suggestion while appearing in a public service announcement released by the office of California Gov. Gavin Newsom on the heels of the Democrat recently ordering residents of the state to stay in their homes to help slow the spread of coronavirus pandemic wreaking havoc around the world.
“I basically want to address the idiots out there — and you know who you are,” Mr. David, 72, said near the start of a video shared by the governor on social media. “You’re going out — don’t know what you’re doing. You’re socializing too close, it’s not good. You’re hurting old people like me. Well, not me, I have nothing to do with you — I’ll never see you — but other, let’s say, other old people who might be your relatives. Who the hell knows?”
People ignoring the governor’s stay-at-home order are effectively missing out on a “once-in-lifetime opportunity” to just stay indoors and watch television, the longtime comedian and “Curb” star said in the PSA.
“I don’t know how you’re passing that up. Well … maybe … cause you’re not that bright. But here it is: Go home! Watch TV! That’s my advice to you,” Mr. David said.
“If you’ve seen my show, nothing good ever happens going out of the house, you know that,” he said. “It’s just trouble out there. It’s not a good place to be. Stay home and, you know, don’t see anyone.”
Mr. Newsom issued the stay-at-home order on March 19 as California and other states across the country began to see a surge in the number of people testing positive for COVID-19, the highly contagious and potentially deadly respiratory disease caused by the novel coronavirus. A total of 30 states and counting currently have similar policies in place, shuttering countless businesses and making tens of millions of Americans subject to unprecedented restrictions.
Nationwide, more than 186,000 people have tested positive for COVID-19 as of Wednesday, according to data maintained by Johns Hopkins University. Of those, over 7,000 have recovered and more than 3,800 died, according to the university.
Health experts have warned that individuals over the age of 65 are at a higher risk of becoming seriously ill and dying from the coronavirus, and that people can help slow the spread of COVID-19 by avoiding gatherings and maintaining a distance of 6 feet from others.
• Andrew Blake can be reached at ablake@washingtontimes.com.
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