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Bogus ‘Face Mask Exempt Card’ spreads on Facebook and other social media

By Cox Media Group National Content Desk

Fake Mask Card The card includes the official Justice Department seal and a logo for Freedom to Breathe Agency, which is not a government agency. (Department of Justice, U.S. Attorney’s Office, Middle District of North Carolina)

By Cox Media Group National Content Desk

The Department of Justice is warning people of fake cards and flyers circulating on Facebook that claim protection from face mask mandates.

The card includes the official Justice Department seal and a logo for Freedom to Breathe Agency which is not a government agency.

FTBA is a Facebook group that’s trying to stop state orders to wear face masks, according to CNN.

Lenka Koloma, the founder of the group, told CNN the group’s mission is focus on “freedom and personal liberty.”

The fake card has the following wording:

FACE MASK EXEMPT CARD
I AM EXEMPT FROM ANY ORDINANCE REQUIRING FACE MASK USAGE IN PUBLIC.
Wearing a face mask (poses) 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.
Department of Justice ADA Violation reporting number: (800) 514-0301
If found in violation of the ADA you could face steep penalties.
Organizations and businesses can be fined up to $70,000 for your first violation and $150,000 for any subsequent violations.
DENYING ACCESS TO YOUR BUSINESS/ORGANIZATION WILL BE ALSO REPORTED TO FTBA FOR FURTHER ACTIONS

The DOJ, which enforces ADA regulations, posted this statement on its website:

The Department of Justice has been made aware of postings or flyers on the internet regarding the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and the use of face masks due to the COVID-19 pandemic, many of which include the Department of Justice’s seal.

These postings were not issued by the Department and are not endorsed by the Department.

The Department urges the public not to rely on the information contained in these postings and to visit ADA.gov for ADA information issued by the Department.

U.S. Attorney Matthew G.T. Martin released a statement reiterating that they were not legal documents.

“Do not be fooled by the chicanery and misappropriation of the DOJ eagle. These cards do not carry the force of law. The ‘Freedom to Breathe Agency,’ or ‘FTBA,’ is not a government agency,” U.S. Attorney Martin said.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends wearing cloth facial coverings in areas where social distancing guidelines may be difficult to maintain, especially in areas of significant community-based transition.

As of Friday, these states require that face coverings be worn in public places:

1. California

2. Connecticut

3. Delaware

4. Hawaii

5. Illinois

6. Kentucky

7. Maine

8. Maryland

9. Massachusetts

10. Michigan

11. Nevada

12. New Jersey

13. New Mexico

14. New York

15. North Carolina

16. Pennsylvania

17. Rhode Island

18. Washington

The District of Columbia also requires face masks be worn in public.

Researchers say wearing face masks in public prevented between 230,000 and 450,000 new cases of COVID-19 infections during a five-week period this spring, strengthening the argument of those in favor of mandatory face masks for anyone out in public in the United States.

The study, published in the journal Health Affairs, said wearing face masks reduced the daily number of coronavirus infections by as much as 2% in states that require masks to be worn in public.

The argument about the need to wear face masks has been a muddled one. Originally, U.S. health officials told people not to wear masks, but CDC along with the U.S. surgeon general changed course in April and recommended that masks be worn in public to help slow the transmission of COVID-19.

Despite the recommendations, the decision to require that masks be worn is left to the states. There is no federal mandate requiring people to wear a mask or face cover when out in public.

Cox Media Group

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