NEW YORK (1010 WINS) -- Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie on Thursday said he should have worn a mask at a White House event honoring Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett, adding that he spent several days in the ICU after he was diagnosed with COVID-19.
In a statement provided to the New York Times, Christie said he "believed 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."
The former governor, however, said he was "wrong" to think that.
"I was wrong not to 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," he said in the statement. "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."
Christie, who ran against President Donald Trump in the Republican primary in 2016, checked himself into Morristown Medical Center on Oct. 3 after he tested positive for COVID-19 following the Sept. 26 White House event.
He spent several days in the intensive care unit, due to risk factors including his weight and asthma, the New York Times reported, adding that he "was treated with a combination of blood thinners, the Ebola drug remdesivir and an experimental antibody cocktail produced by Eli Lilly." He was released from the hospital on Oct. 10.
COVID-19, Christie, told the Times, is "something to take very seriously."
"The ramifications are wildly random and potentially deadly," he said.
He still feels fatigued from the illness, he added.
