People with a disability or chronic illness are often refused entry to shops if, for medical reasons, they do not wear a mouth mask but a splash guard. The interest group Elke (in) has already received hundreds of reports. “The stories are poignant and heartbreaking. This is worrisome. ”
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The website Rijksoverheid.nl states that for people with a disability or chronic illness, there are exceptions to the masking obligation that has been in force in public indoor spaces since 1 December.
If they cannot wear a mouth mask for medical reasons, they may also wear a splash shield (faceshield). They can also download a pass on which they can explain why they are not wearing a mouth mask. The pass has already been downloaded more than 100,000 times.
Nevertheless, the reporting center of Elke (in) shows that many people with a disability or chronic illness are denied access to shops and banks if they wear a splash screen or show a pass.
Forced
“Sometimes they even show their medication or a statement from a doctor or hospital,” said director Illya Soffer. “A patient with a neurological disorder was even refused at the hospital desk, so that he could not go to the specialist’s appointment. People are also forced by their employer to wear a mouth mask. That creates conflicts. ”
According to Soffer, these include lung and heart patients, but also people with mental illness, anxiety disorders or trauma. People with asthma or COPD cannot wear a mouth mask, because otherwise they will not get enough oxygen in their blood.
“People called us crying because they had passed out a few times. They are locked out and treated like a criminal. Other customers react angrily, saying they assume or are to blame for the corona pandemic. A lot of fear and aggression is projected on them. ”
Soffer understands that there are also people who refuse to wear a mouth mask as a statement and abuse the argument for ‘medical reasons’. “Those few people shouldn’t ruin it for the large group of chronically ill people.”
According to Elke (in), it should be communicated more clearly to the public and shopkeepers that exceptions apply to people with a disability or chronic illness.
–Photo: Everyone
Stop fraudsters
“The focus is on stopping fraudsters,” says Soffer. “But there are hundreds of thousands of people who cannot wear a face mask for legitimate reasons. Trust that those people are not doing that to infect others, but because they have no alternative. ”
The impact of the masking duty on them is great. “They have been living in a sober regime since March, they hardly participate in society,” says Soffer. “Now they finally dare to go outside again because everyone has to wear a mouth mask, and then they often cannot go to their doctor, shop or the bank.”
–Photo: Rijksoverheid.nl
Commercial
Although the rules on the site are clear, in practice this leads to different interpretations. In Denmark, for example, the government has explained in a commercial that some people have an exception to the masking obligation.
“There are measures, but it is now left to the retailers to give direction,” says Soffer. “When push comes to shove, the most vulnerable people will be caught short. It would help enormously if Prime Minister Rutte or Minister De Jonge explicitly stated in the press conference tomorrow that a face shield and a pass are an alternative for people with a disability or chronic illness. ”
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