Gov. Cuomo said he invited the two to spread the word because, as he put it, he’s just “not cool enough” for people to take his advice.
“So I’m going to bring in reinforcements to help us communicate that message,” he said, introducing the two, both Brooklyn natives.
The two arrived in gloves and masks, but removed them before they each spoke.
Perez called the invitation an “honor,” saying, “it’s really good to be here.”
“I’m proud to be partnering with the governor to make sure that my hometown… my beloved borough Brooklyn and all of New York’s most impacted communities have the resources they need to stop the spread of the virus.”
She continued, “In Brooklyn, there’s a saying, ‘Spread love the Brooklyn way.’ Spreading love the Brooklyn way means respecting your neighbors, respecting your communities and the way you can do that is by getting tested, wearing a mask.”
Perez stressed the pandemic is not about politics and addressed the disproportionate impact of the virus in communities of color.
“This is not a joke, this is not a hoax. This is real,” Perez said.
Rock infused his message with a little humor.
“I got the test today, I just got tested to come out here, I got a 65 so, just passed,” he quipped before encouraging more Covid-19 testing. “Everybody that can get tested should get tested as soon as possible.”
The comedian also talked about staying the course with social distancing.
“It’s like when the doctor prescribes antibiotics, he says take the whole prescription and if you stop, whatever you came in there is going to come back worse,” he said. “So social distancing is what was the prescription, and we need to take the whole dose or else it’s going to get worse.”
Gov. Cuomo announced he would sign an executive order which permits businesses in the state to deny entry to people not wearing masks.
“Not wearing a mask is not ok. And that has to be the culture and that has to be the attitude,” Cuomo said. “You don’t have a right to jeopardize my health. It is as Rosie said, it’s respect.”