New mask exemption cards- what you need to know

Tuesday 12 July, 2022

From the end of May, people with a genuine reason for not being able to wear a face mask can obtain a new personalised exemption card. The process for obtaining a card will be managed by the Ministry of Health and is intended to give businesses and organisations assurance that when a person presents one of the new cards, they are genuinely exempt from wearing a mask. The new cards are entirely optional, and people can continue to use the old exemption cards. However, the new exemption cards will be legally recognised as conclusive proof of a person’s exempt status, unlike the previous cards.

The Government has stated that if a business or organisation questions a person carrying the new card, the person questioning them will be at risk of triggering the duties and obligations under the Human Rights Act that protect disabled people from discrimination. Organisations and businesses where mask use is still required need to remember that they cannot refuse service to persons exempt from wearing a mask, whether or not they choose to carry an exemption card. Businesses can expect to start seeing the new exemption cards from 31 May 2022 onwards. 

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