MIKE PORTNOY Blasts People Who Throw Fits After Being Told They Have To Wear Masks

Former DREAM THEATER and current SONS OF APOLLO drummer Mike Portnoy has blasted people who refuse to wear a mask in public spaces to protect others from possible infection.

Portnoy addressed the hot-button issue as lawmakers push harder for their constituents to wear face masks to limit the spread of coronavirus. President Donald Trump has been loath to wear a mask, despite the advice of public health experts.

Earlier today, Portnoy took to his Twitter to share a video of a woman apparently throwing items from her shopping cart after being told by a store manager to keep her mask on.

"What the hell is wrong with some people??" Portnoy wrote. "All because she's supposed to wear a mask in a store to protect other people...how much more childish, irresponsible and selfish can people be?? Are they throwing fits because they have to wear a seatbelt in the car too??? #growup"

Portnoy added in follow-up tweets: "This isn't about YOU, it's about OTHERS!! How can people like you be so selfish?? It is so YOU don't spread YOUR potentially infected germs onto other people who may be vulnerable and at risk!!! How isn't that soooo blatantly obvious?? And this isn't about 'sides' or politics!

"There are certain matters that 'Freedom of Choice' doesn't apply!! Are you allowed to drive without a seatbelt?? Better yet, are you 'allowed' to drive drunk??? It's a matter of public safety & being considerate so as to not harm or kill yourself or others! Stop being so selfish"

Two weeks ago, the U.S. Surgeon General urged people to wear face coverings, saying they will promote freedom during the coronavirus pandemic.

"Some feel face coverings infringe on their freedom of choice- but if more wear them, we'll have MORE freedom to go out. Face coverings [leads to] less asymptomatic viral spread [leads to] more places open, and sooner!" Dr. Jerome Adams wrote on Twitter.

In a study published earlier in the month, researchers from Texas A&M University, the California Institute of Technology and the University of California San Diego, concluded "that wearing of face masks in public corresponds to the most effective means to prevent interhuman transmission."

In early April, the Centers For Disease Control And Prevention issued new guidelines that Americans should wear face coverings in public.