CORONAVIRUS mask exemption cards that have been circulating are fake, the Justice Department warned on Friday.
The wallet-sized cards — which have an official government seal on them — state that the card-holder is not required to wear a face mask amid the COVID pandemic.
One card, shared online by KSNV reporter Lauren Clark, says the holder is “exempt from any ordinance requiring face mask usage in public.”
“Wearing a face mask posses (sic) a mental and/or physical risk to me. Under the Americans with Disability Act (ADA), I am not required to disclose my condition to you.”
The card continues on to file a complaint with the Justice Department for violations of the apparent exemption, and threatens “steep penalties” with fines of up to $75,000 for a first violation.
“The Americans with Disability Act” was incorrectly spelled, as the civil rights law is actually titled “Americans with Disabilities Act.”
Additionally, the card states “denying access to your business/organization will be also reported to FTBA for further actions.”
According to KSNV, the "Freedom to Breathe Agency" (FTBA) is a “Facebook group that has transitioned to a website.”
The website states: "We believe in freedom of speech. We believe in freedom to pursue happiness. We believe in freedom to choose. We believe in medical freedom. We believe in equality."
On Friday, US Attorney for the District of Maine Halsey Frank warned the public that the cards and other possible documents with the Justice Department’s seal are “fraudulent.”
“There have been reports of individuals in Maine handing out cards claiming that the bearer is exempt from face mask requirements under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA),” Frank wrote in a press release.
“The Department of Justice also is aware of postings or flyers on the internet making the same claims. Many of these documents include the Department’s seal.”
The US attorney said documents weren’t issued by the federal government, and the misuse of the department’s seal is a federal crime.
He said the Justice Department “urges the public not to rely on the information contained in these documents and to visit https://www.ada.gov/ for ADA information issued by the Department.”
A coffee shop owner in Nevada named Luiz Oliveira, who noted he hasn’t seen the card yet, said he recently had a customer tell him they didn’t have to wear a mask because it’s “against the law.”
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