Former Governor Christie On COVID-19, Mask Wearing: 'I Was Wrong'

MORRISTOWN, NJ - Former Governor Chris Christie said his week-long ICU stay at the Morristown Medical Center gave him time to think about his choices leading up to his COVID-19 diagnosis, and he came to a conclusion.

"I was wrong," Christie said in a statement released Thursday night. "I was wrong to not wear a mask at the Amy Coney Barrett (Supreme Court nomination) announcement, and I was wrong not to wear a mask at my multiple debate prep sessions with the President and the rest of the team."

Christie said that, now that he's had the virus, he can be sure of a few things:

• It is something to take very seriously.
• The ramifications are wildly random and potentially deadly.
• No one should be happy to get the virus and no one should be cavalier abou being infected or infecting others.

"I hope that my experience shows my fellow citizens that you should follow CDC guidelines in public no matter where you are and wear a mask to protect yourself and others," he said.

Christie became one of the latest public officials connected to President Donald Trump to be hospitalized for the coronavirus. And medical professionals said "clinical judgment" factored into that decision.

Christie initially said he was feeling "good and only have mild symptoms," but he felt this was an "important precautionary measure" because of his history of asthma. In 2011, Christie was sent to Somerset Medical Center for tests after experiencing difficulty breathing while en route to a bill-signing ceremony.

Christie also had a phone conversation with Tom Moran of the Star Ledger, who said in his column that Christie didn't want to share specifics of his health and treatment.

"But I can say this: He sounded raspy but didn't cough once during the 10-minute chat. He said it's scary, of course, and he's fully aware that he's a prime target for this virus, given his weight and a lifelong case of asthma that was bad enough to hospitalize him during one attack in 2011," Moran said.

Christie was seen hugging others at the White House ceremony for Trump's announcement several weeks ago that Barrett had been nominated to the Supreme Court.

At least two US senators and several aides and reporters who were at that event – where few people wore masks – have since tested positive.

The event was widely criticized on social media. Christie was tested afterward, and was originally negative. The virus, however, can take at least several days to develop.

Christie also helped Trump prepare for the president's debate with former Vice President Joe Biden several weeks ago.

Christie, a strong supporter of Trump's since the former governor dropped out of the presidential race in 2016, has been critical of Gov. Phil Murphy's approach to the coronavirus. Christie has called on the governor to open up more of New Jersey's economy sooner and faster.

You can read Christie's entire statement below:

"I am happy and fortunate to inform you that I have recovered from COVID-19.

Before this good news, however, I spent 7 days in the Intensive Care Unit of Morristown Medical Center to get treatment and insure this good result for me and my family. I want to thank the doctors and nurses for their skillful and compassionate care. I want to thank the manufacturers of Remdesivir and the Eli Lilly monoclonal anti-body cocktail for giving me access to their extraordinary treatments. I am confident that all of those factors contributed to my good health today.

When you have seven days in isolation in an ICU though, you have time to do a lot of thinking. I did and have come to the following conclusions:

I believed that when I entered the White House grounds, that I had entered a safe zone, due to the testing that I and many others underwent every day. I was wrong. I was wrong to not wear a mask at the Amy Coney Barrett announcement and I was wrong not to wear a mask at my multiple debate prep sessions with the President and the rest of the team. I hope that my experience shows my fellow citizens that you should follow CDC guidelines in public no matter where you are and wear a mask to protect yourself and others.

Having had this virus, I can also assure those who have not had it of a few things. It is something to take very seriously. The ramifications are wildly random and potentially deadly. No one should be happy to get the virus and no one should be cavalier about being infected or infecting others.

But as a former public official, I believe we have not treated Americans as adults, who understand truth, sacrifice and responsibility that I know them to be. I have also concluded that like much else in 2020, that the virus is governed by our two dominant political and media extremes: Those who believe there is nothing to this virus and those alarmists who would continue to close down our country and not trust the common sense of the American people. Both are wrong. This is not an either/or proposition. The public health consequences of ignoring the virus and the responsible safeguards that we need to take will be additional illness and death caused by COVID-19. The public policy consequences of continuing to shut down or re-shut down our country will be further economic devastation to families, even more loss of education by our students and the continuing loss of life through the drug abuse, suicide and depression caused by taking away people’s ability to support their families. There is another way.

Every public official, regardless of party or position, should advocate for every American to wear a mask in public, appropriately socially distance and to wash your hands frequently every day. At the same time, we should be reopening in every corner of this nation under these guidelines. Reopen all those places which have taken the brunt of these shutdowns and allow our country to get back to a life where citizens can support their families using common sense. Even during a contentious election year, we must trust the American people with the truth. I believe that these two steps can bring our country together while our pharmaceutical companies invent the therapeutics and vaccines which will rid us of this virus.

While we may seem very divided today, I do believe we can use this public health tragedy to bring us together. It is never too late to start. It will take leadership that both challenges and trusts the American people. After all, we are America, the world’s greatest hope."

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