Jennifer Aniston sternly tells fans to wear masks

Jennifer Aniston has urged her Instagram followers to take new coronavirus guidelines seriously.

The Friends star posted a selfie of her facemask to the photo-sharing app this week and implored fans to do the same to stay healthy and safe.

"I understand masks are inconvenient and uncomfortable, but don’t you feel that it’s worse that businesses are shutting down... jobs are being lost... healthcare workers are hitting absolute exhaustion," the 51-year-old wrote, reflecting: "So many lives have been taken by this virus because we aren’t doing enough."

The actress told fans while she still believes in "the basic goodness of people", she also scolded: "there are many people in our country refusing to take the necessary steps to flatten the curve, and keep each other safe."

Dismissing concerns that wearing masks might infringe on civil liberties, Aniston added: "People seem worried about their rights being taken away by being asked to wear a mask. This simple and effective recommendation is being politicized at the expense of peoples’ lives."

She concluded: "It really shouldn’t be a debate. If you care about human life, please... just wear a d**n mask and encourage those around you to do the same."

The Morning Show star's message comes a day after figures show 500,000 people have lost their lives around the world due to the killer virus. A new spike in cases in the U.S. has prompted the Governors of many states to reverse re-opening measures and increase restrictions on public gatherings ahead of the upcoming Independence Day weekend.

Gavin Newsom, the Governor of Aniston's adopted California, has ordered everyone going out in public to wear a face mask at all times.