Are coronavirus mask exemption cards real? Experts weigh in

Mask exemption cards appear on the Internet - but doubts remain as to their validity.


Wear a face mask is not always nice - especially as temperatures are increasing - but it is always a necessary precaution in the war against coronavirus. However, many people have found a possible escape: aPrintable coronavirus mask exemption card with the seal of the Ministry of Justice (Doj) Who claims to allow the wearer to go without a mask in public. The only problem? They are wrong.

While the cards claim that companies refuse entry into non-masked clients who present their coronavirus exemption cards could be responsible for violating the American Disability Act (ADA) and to touch with initial fines of 75. $ 000, as well as $ 150,000 fine for subsequent offenses, maps are not actually issued by a government agency. Despite the seal of Doj on the cards, theCivil rights division of the United States Department of Justice refuses their involvement. "These assignments have not been issued by the department and are not endorsed by the Department", according to the DoJ website.

coronavirus exemption card
Twitter / @ lancebass

So, who is behind the hoax? The cards were created by the FTBA-or the freedom to breathe the agency - the website and the Facebook page for which have been removed from. If a business owner is presented with such a card, "the company must indicate to the individual that the ADA does not recognize any cards or certifications of this type for accommodation ... and they can not accept the card as proof of the need asked, "explainsBruna Pedrini, a lawyer with Fennemore Craig, specializing in accessibility, the fight against discrimination and the law of education.

However, this does not mean that companies are necessarily out of the hook simply because the card presented to them is false. "Dealsmust Engage in dialogue with the individual to determine if there is a less restrictive alternative, such as a long-term shield with a closed loop, that the individual could use instead of a mask, "says Pedrini , which notes that, in some cases, social distancing can be a possible alternative if the customer is admiring not to wear mask.

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This does not mean that companies need to accommodate unmasked hordes of patterns. "If there is no reasonable accommodation that can be agreed, the company may refuse entry," says Pedrini, noting that the coronavirus pandemic is considered a "direct threat" to public health and Security, allowing companies to deny specialized accommodation, according to ADA.

For people with masks make a direct threat to their well-being, there are forms of documentation that can explain their difficult situation.

"If a person with a real disability wants to show that they can not really wear mask, the note of a doctor for this purpose can help," explain the prosecutorRajeh A. Sadeh. However, even in the case of authentic medical necessity, "which does not replace the prerogative of a business owner to limit the entry when it is to prevent a risk of specific and articiable harm", such asTransmission of coronaviruses, Sadeh explains. And if you want to know where your mask is not negotiable, checkThe 10 states with the strict laws of the facial mask.


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