Isha Sesay
THE Balearic Islands’ Health Service has launched a self-declaration form for those who are unable to wear a face mask.
The form has been made available to residents after doctors saw a surge in demand for medical certificates specifying health reasons to not wear the personal protective gear.
Available to download from the IB-Salut website, interested individuals merely have to sign a waiver stating that they ‘comply with any of the clinical conditions where it is not required to wear a mask.’
This can then be printed out and shown to any police officer or community inspector, annulling the €100 fine.
IB-Salut Director, Eugenia Carandell, said that the self-declaration form will ‘lessen the pressure on the health service.’
She explained that since the mandatory face mask order has been enforced, hundreds of people have flocked to medical centres or hospitals to request a certificate omitting their use.
“Any citizen who wishes to not wear a mask can now do so through signing their own declaration without having to go to a health centre,’ said Carandell.
The director did however say the new process ‘comes with risks,’ since it is up to an individual to be truthful about their health condition.
“We ask that this matter is not trivialised as not wearing a mask will pose a danger to one’s own health and others,” Carandell added.
The form is aimed at ‘those with lung or heart problems, or neurodevelopmental disorders that prevent the mask from fitting on the face well.’
It comes as four more outbreaks of coronavirus have been detected across the Balearic Islands, bringing the total to 17.
Last week, the Ministry of Health reported 13 active outbreaks, putting more than 120 people in isolation.
