Arnold Schwarzenegger has a stern message for Californians tempted to defy Governor Gavin Newsom and go out to bars, restaurants or wineries while the coronavirus outbreak rages: “Stay at home as much as possible. Listen to the experts, ignore the morons (foreheads). We will get through this together.”

On Sunday, the Terminator star and former California governor posted the message and a short video to Twitter. It was not immediately clear what he meant by “foreheads” but the video featuring the actor and two pets, miniature horse Whiskey and donkey Lulu, quickly set the internet on fire.

“See, the important thing is you stay at home,” Schwarzenegger said while he fed carrots to his diminutive equine pals, “because there is a curfew now.

“Nobody is allowed out, especially someone that is like 72 years old. After you’re 65, you’re not allowed out of the house any more in California. So we eat at home.”

“Oh yes that’s yummy,” Schwarzenegger added, feeding a carrot to Whiskey. “Lulu loves carrots, Whiskey loves carrots, I just had my little bit of vegan food. Oh yes, that was yummy, huh?”

Coronavirus, or Covid-19, is a respiratory illness that can cause pneumonia-like symptoms. Most people who contract it recover but among the elderly and infirm it can be fatal. According to figures collated by the New York Times, as of Monday morning 3,602 cases have been confirmed in the US and 66 people have died.

Around the world, according to the World Health Organization, 154,000 cases have been confirmed and nearly 6,000 people have died, the majority in China, although Italy is also experiencing a serious and deadly outbreak.

The Trump administration has struggled to respond effectively – on Sunday the president told Americans to “relax” and “have a nice dinner” while his chief virus expert said the worst was yet to come and admitted on national TV millions could yet die.

But states and cities around the country have implemented increasingly severe restrictions on businesses, transport and social infrastructure.

In California Governor Newsom has urged, though not ordered, people over 65 or with chronic heath problems to stay home. He has also said restaurants, bars and nightclubs should close.

Schwarzenegger, 72 and a former bodybuilding champion, was governor of California between 2003 and 2011. He has since returned to film. And small horses.

“No more restaurants, OK?” he said in his video, patting his friends. “Forget all that. Public gatherings, restaurants and all this, gymnasiums, out the window. We stay home. Hey Whiskey? Huh?”

He then kissed Whiskey, before cautioning her in terms familiar to parents of children sent home from school all across the US.

“No biting, OK? You’ve got to get along because we’re in very small quarters here.”