Mask exemption card launched for airport and harbour

Tuesday 04 August 2020

Passengers with a medical condition or disability that prevents them from wearing a mask will be exempted from wearing one inside the airport and harbour if they can provide a medical certificate.

Ports of Jersey is launching a ‘Hidden Disability’ face covering exemption card, which passengers will be asked to carry so they can be easily identified by staff.

All passengers are currently required to wear a face covering when inside the Elizabeth Terminal or the Airport.

However, Ports of Jersey is now allowing exemptions for passengers who have certain medical conditions and hidden disabilities, such as hearing or breathing difficulties, which makes it hard for them to wear them.

Pictured: An example of the face covering exemption lanyards.

To ease the process and make their journey more comfortable, Ports of Jersey is launching the exemption card, which works in a similar way to the ‘Hidden Disability’ lanyard scheme.

Introduced in December 2018, the lanyard aimed to immediately alert staff to passengers who may require additional time or consideration when traveling.

The exemption card can be collected from the Customer Relations Desk at Jersey Airport, but passengers will have to provide documented evidence of their need for this exemption, such as a medical certificate/doctor’s note. There is no charge for the card.

“We are conscious that for some passengers the wearing of a face mask or shield can be very challenging when travelling through our ports, especially for those with a ‘hidden’ medical condition that is not immediately identified," Sarah-Louise Stubbs, Customer Relations Manager for Ports of Jersey, said.

Pictured: The exemption cards can be collected from he Customer Relations Desk at Jersey Airport.

"Therefore, to make it more comfortable and reassuring for them we have extended our ‘Hidden Disability’ scheme to include this exemption card.

"The lanyard scheme has already proved successful in the 18 months since we first launched it and we now wish to extend it by providing the face mask exemption card to other passengers who may find it beneficial."