Surely shops aren't allowed to do this?

[AntFarm]

Our local post office/store has got a sign up outside stating that everyone entering must wear a mask and that exempt people must show proof of exemption before entering. It then goes on to list proof of exemption as :

A doctor's note on headed paper
Exemption letter from DWP
Hidden disabilities exemption card

If you cannot wear a mask and do not have any of these then you are not allowed to enter. They have, so generously, said that children under the age of 11 do not need to show proof.

I am not exempt, neither is anyone in my family, and we all happily wear masks no problem. It just doesn't seem right or fair that someone should have to show medical or personal documents to someone in a shop!

Yes, I too would like to hear from this doctor who is an expert in every single condition that potentially leads to exemption, and their prevalence amongst the general population. Plus presumably also all conditions that people might claim exempts them but actually doesn't, and again prevalence.

A shop local to me has a sign up saying "regulars only". But those regulars are expected to wear a mask.

assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/903454/Exemption_from_face_covering_card_to_print.pdf
Even with a colour printer and laminator card above looks lame

assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/903452/Exemption_from_face_covering_badge_for_mobile_phone.pdf
maybe downloading and flashing the 2nd one on your mobile phone

@JinglingHellsBells

the posters who are getting worked up here about those who are exempt from face coverings- do you own online searches and find out that what I posted is correct.

the medic was a highly qualified dr. Yes I don't have the exact link or name but you can find it I'm sure if search.

The point being made by them was that for anyone using a shop, there are very, very few people who cannot wear a face covering(can be a scarf) for 5 or ten minutes.

The OP was posting about a small corner shop. Who would be in there for long when they only allow one person at a time?

Was this highly qualified doctor a specialist in arthrogryposis multiplex congenita?

[quote Slat3]@PurpleDaisies a lot of post offices are open plan now so not behind screens.[/quote]
They will still have screens at the till.

The last time I went to do the food shopping, I went into panic attack mode by the end of the first aisle, so the face covering causing it came off to ease the hyperventilating. My GP has no record of this, there is no official evidence, but it does not mean that it's not real. I can normally avoid or manage certain triggers so there is normally near to zero impact on my life and therefore there has never been a need to waste the time of my GP for it.

3 out of the 4 of us in the family are reasonably exempt for 3 seperate reasons. It should not be an issue for my DCs as they are u11. One has ASD and can't even cope with trousers or most jumpers. The other has asthma, and I'm not dicking about with someone else's lungs to find out what his coping threshold is. While I'm happy to mention these issues in an anonymous setting, we are under no obligation to reveal sensitive information about our health to random workers. There is no obligation to advertise our status by wearing lanyards and it's pretty pointless when it's advertised by a bare face anyway.

I am trying to comply with face coverings , but the irony is that the toxic judgementalism that some posters are demonstrating are actually causing a higher risk by making me feel compelled to wear an object that I end up constantly fiddling with and adjusting, in a panic mode to grab and go ASAP, social distancing goes out of the window, and hyperventilating more aerosol out from deeper in my lungs. It would be far more hygienic if I felt confident in breathing normally, leaving my bare face alone, keeping my hands clean and keeping my distance as I managed for 4 months from March through to July. Not that I'm sure how I'm going to breathe Death over anyone when I'm rarely in contact with anyone beyond my household and live in a low risk area, but hey it's a pandemic and logic doesn't stand up against the need to be seen to be doing the right thing which is the most important social priority.

Life for people with health problems and disabilities is still very far from ideal in the UK, but we should be proud of being better and at least having a better legal framework and aspiration of equality than many of our supposedly fellow civilised nations. Places actively discriminating against people with medical issues deserve to be boycotted, complained about and discredited.

@JinglingHellsBells

the posters who are getting worked up here about those who are exempt from face coverings- do you own online searches and find out that what I posted is correct.

the medic was a highly qualified dr. Yes I don't have the exact link or name but you can find it I'm sure if search.

The point being made by them was that for anyone using a shop, there are very, very few people who cannot wear a face covering(can be a scarf) for 5 or ten minutes.

The OP was posting about a small corner shop. Who would be in there for long when they only allow one person at a time?

Again how on earth could one Dr kniw every medical condition inside out? Either he or she is very stupid or completely egotistical. My kids dermatologist knows nothing about my health condition why would he? It's not his speciality. It's absolutely ridiculous to suggest one person knows every single thing medically or psychologically possible. If you believe that you will believe anything.

@KIatschundTratsch

assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/903454/Exemption_from_face_covering_card_to_print.pdf Even with a colour printer and laminator card above looks lame

assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/903452/Exemption_from_face_covering_badge_for_mobile_phone.pdf
maybe downloading and flashing the 2nd one on your mobile phone

Once more, especially for the hard of thinking - there is no requirement to carry or display any proof of exemption.

Some of the comments on this thread are appalling. No one has the right to demand proof - it is that simple.

There is talk about people not in masks being a dick - it seems there are more wearing the masks.

You dont have to wear a mask. It can be a simple face covering.
Which part of some people can not bear anything covering thier face is hard to understand?

I won't cover my face. Ever. I won't cover my childs face. Ever.

I'll stand wherever the fuck I like

Anyone tells me to wear a mask and doesn't leave me alone is going to be very badly injured.

Vodkacranberŕyplease, you seem to be mistaking a post office in the UK for Chernoybl. Are you up to date on the current stats for Covid 19, that vast swathes of the country do not have cases, and the "worst" affected parts of the country still have genuinely low rates of cases. In August 2019, more people are dying of flu and pneumonia than Covid 19.

I hope you regularly play the National Lottery, because your odds of winning are far better than the risk of person A catching and dying from the virus by being in a post office for a few minutes after person B went in there without a layer of fabric/ plastic on their face.

Wow @Vodkacranberryplease what a MARTYR you are.

Have an award for you mask wearing bravery.

Have you asked your dr for a cert for him?

GPs will not give mask exemption certificates (which aren’t even a thing anyway).

I can't wear a mask due to a combination of heart and lung problems. I've tried several times and end up having to take it off and sit down before I collapse. Trust me, I would much rather wear one!
So far I've just explained that I have a heart condition and shops have accepted it, and I don't mind explaining that. But all this stuff about certificates and doctors notes is really frustrating. The government has specifically said drs should not write mask exemption notes and nowhere should require them. So such things don't exist.

Spot on @BogRollBOGOF

@Willow2017 How is it hard to understand that a well qualified and experienced expert in this, does not understand which conditions may exempt someone from wearing a face covering?

Also, what I/ they said still stands.

They said a very very small number of people are not able to wear face coverings.

Out of 66 million people (excluding children under 11), even if you account for all the people with physical and mental health issues, it is still a very small number.

People here are keen to list various conditions, but that's missing the point- that even if you add up all those people, it's a small number of the total population.

[quote JinglingHellsBells]@Willow2017 How is it hard to understand that a well qualified and experienced expert in this, does not understand which conditions may exempt someone from wearing a face covering?

Also, what I/ they said still stands.

They said a very very small number of people are not able to wear face coverings.

Out of 66 million people (excluding children under 11), even if you account for all the people with physical and mental health issues, it is still a very small number.

People here are keen to list various conditions, but that's missing the point- that even if you add up all those people, it's a small number of the total population.[/quote]
Prove your claims.

@BogRollBOGOF a post office is going to be filled with germ carrrying people. Maybe this village has no Covid? I'm in London and see everyone as a potential source of it. A friend of mine has had two friends die, and employee of mine had it. Another employees daughter brought it back from uni. I think (don't we all) that I had it.

I'm ususlly very risk tolerant. Not interested in sticking my nose in other peoples business or judging people or telling them off. But I have been very very careful with this. Have researched masks thoroughly. Do food shopping (mostly) online now (now slots have opened up again). Hand sanitiser, gloves for a while. Because the cost of getting it wrong is potentially too high. It's a really nasty virus and I don't want to get it.

I quarantined properly after Spain. A friend wanted to go out for cocktails and I so so wanted to but I told her I couldn't live with myself if I gave it to someone. Any risk is too much with this, for me.

But if you are in a small village with zero cases and three people in the post office sll day I can see how you wouldn't think the same way!

My GP won't write a cert even if you pay them for it.

I work in retail and see quite a few not wearing masks. When they chat to me at the tills some are quite open about their conspiracy theories or how they cant be bothered with the nonsense. They make me angry.

I have a trio of respiratory conditions, none of which would be considered a great difficulty on their own, but combined they make it difficult for me to take a decent deep breath even with my medications and inhalers, with heat and moisture aggravating this. When aggravated i start hyperventilating because I can't catch my breath at all.

The kind of shops I would like to go to i would generally be required to wear a mask for about 30 minutes, so I dont go because I don't feel I would manage for that time frame.

Thats my personal choice and its sad but its partly because of the attitude that people have when they see me without one. To them I look like a healthy 30 something who can't be bothered, and I get all the snide looks and comments to each other about it. I tried wearing a lanyard showing the governmental for exempt, it made no difference to other peoples behaviour