Only certificates which have been issued by medical specialists can be used to prove that an individual is not required to wear a mask

The Health Board has received several tip-offs regarding various online portals which are selling certificates. These are being advertised as documents which exempt the holder from the obligation to wear a face mask. In actual fact, such home-made certificates have no legal founding. Only a certificate which has been issued by a medical specialist can be used to prove that wearing a mask is not required for a specific individual.

According to Ragnar Vaiknemets, head of the emergency unit at the Health Board, wearing a protective face mask to control the spread of the infection is an act which is only ruled out in the case of a very few people. The obligation to wear a mask does not apply to anyone whose blood oxygen level drops below normal levels if they breathe from the surrounding air rather than via oxygen cylinders, for example. Mask-wearing is not required for anyone who suffers from serious lung or heart problems and who requires oxygen therapy at home. Similarly, the obligation to wear a mask does not apply for medical reasons to anyone who is unable to remove their mask independently, such as people who are paralysed, bedridden individuals, or patients with severe psychological disorders.

‘It is important to stress that the certificate which actually exempts someone from the obligation to wear a mask cannot be bought,’ said Vaiknemets. ‘The facts regarding wearing a mask or not wearing one must be determined and confirmed by a medical specialist, with such a determination being based upon the health condition of the individual in question,’ he added. A certificate which is issued by a physician must specify the patient’s name and personal identification code. The certificate’s expiry date must also be legibly specified on the certificate, along with the name of the physician who issued it, the name of the medical institution responsible, the physician’s code number, the date, and the physician’s signature.

Family physicians do not issue such certificates, but they can refer the patient to a consultation with a medical specialist. Family physicians are, however, entitled to assess whether or not the issue being described by a patient is of a sufficient level of seriousness to request a medical specialist’s assessment. The personal opinion of the specific individual is not sufficient reason to order such an assessment.

Pursuant to an order which has been issued by Estonia’s government, masks must be worn when taking part in adult hobby activities and during the provision of education classes, along with refresher training courses and continuing education classes, conferences, when visiting the theatre, concerts, or the cinema, when using entertainment services, or when visiting museums or exhibitions, as well as on the public premises of catering establishments. Masks must also be worn during public meetings which are held indoors and when attending other events. On public indoor premises, masks must be worn when taking part in any sporting activities, working out, or attending sporting competitions or sports or active lifestyle events, as well as in saunas, spas, swimming pools, and water parks.

It is not necessary to wear a mask during activities which make mask-wearing impossible, such as when actively taking part in sporting activities, when coming into contact with water, or while eating in a restaurant. This means that it is not necessary to wear a mask in the shower, in the swimming pool, or in the sauna at a water park, as a wet mask becomes inefficient.