Los Angeles County health officials warned residents Friday about fake cards circulating online that claim to exempt holders from having to wear masks amid the pandemic.
The fraudulent cards carry the U.S. Department of Justice logo and the words: “Wearing a face mask posses a mental and/or physical risk to me. Under the Americans with Disability Act (ADA), I am not required to disclosed my condition to you.”
They also threaten hefty fines and claim that those who deny holders access to their businesses will be reported.
The Department of Justice issued a statement confirming they have not issued or endorsed the cards or similar flyers seen online.
“These flyers and cards are NOT from a government agency and are not endorsed by the Department of Justice or any Los Angeles County department,” the L.A. County Department of Public Health warned in a tweet.
The cards were issued by a now-deleted website, FTBAgency.com, run by a Facebook group called “Freedom to Breathe Agency.”
The group’s founder, Lenka Koloma, told CNN the mission is “freedom and personal liberty” and went on to say that people should only wear masks, “whenever they wish to be silenced and muzzled.”
CNN reported Koloma provided a screenshot showing a notification that says that Facebook removed the group for “fraud and deception.”
The fake cards come at a time when coronavirus infections are surging in California and other states, with health officials statewide urging residents to wear face coverings to curb the spread of the virus, which travels through respiratory droplets when an infected person coughs, sneezes or talks.
L.A. County officials reminded residents that face coverings must be worn any time people are around members of different households.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention started recommending that people wear face coverings in April after studies found that people without COVID-19 symptoms can still transmit the virus.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom has mandated the use of face coverings statewide.
The only people exempt from the rule are children under two years old due to the risk of suffocation, those who are hard of hearing, people with medical conditions that prevent the use of a face covering and inmates.
Californians don’t have to wear masks while eating at a restaurant or while engaged in outdoor work or recreation, like swimming, walking, hiking, bicycling or running.
