In an effort to encourage people to wear masks and/or face coverings as a protocol to prevent the spread of COVID-19, New England sports figures have teamed up with the Massachusetts Medical Society (MMS) for its #MaskUp campaign.
In a video that was tweeted on Wednesday, society president Dr. David Rosman was joined by Patriots special teams captain Matthew Slater, Celtics center Tacko Fall, Bruins defenseman Zdeno Chara, Red Sox pitcher and Revolution defender Brandon Bye.
The campaign’s message is simple: wear a mask, wash your hands, and stay six feet apart.
MMS has joined with the @Patriots, @Celtics, @NHLBruins, @RedSox and @NERevolution to ask you to #MaskUp! We are all on the same team against #COVID19, and that means we each have an important role to play in order to #StopTheSpread. pic.twitter.com/1ovWqFChHh
— Massachusetts Medical Society (MMS) (@MassMedical) August 19, 2020
As of Tuesday, there have been 114,786 total confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Massachusetts. Governor Charlie Bakers issued an order in May that requires face coverings in both indoor and outdoor public spaces, which is still in effect.
“When you’re a part of a team, everyone has a responsibility to do your job,” said Slater, who was recording from Gillette Stadium. “We only succeed when we work together, and everyone takes no days off.”
Fall added: “We are all on the same team now, and the game plan to defeat our opponent is simple: wear a mask.”
Chara reiterated that he’s just as proud to wear a mask as he is to represent the Bruins.
“Just like I wear a spoked-B with pride, I’m proud to wear my mask,” he said.
At the end of the video, Slater urged that, “everyone please, mask up!” — followed by each player putting on their masks branded with their team’s logo. For those who want to take part in the campaign, the Massachusetts Medical Society is encouraging people to “show their pride” by posting a photo of themselves wearing a mask and tagging both @MMS and the major sports teams’ social handles.
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