"They said my exemption card didn't matter, I couldn't come in without a mask': Man with collapsed lung refused entry to Edinburgh Post Office
An Edinburgh man was refused entry to a Post Office to deposit his weekly rent as he wasn’t wearing a coronavirus mask, despite having a medical exemption card.
Chris (who has asked for his full name not to be used) has a ‘face covering exempt’ card given to him by his GP due to having suffered from pneumothorax, a collapsed lung.
Symptoms of this include shortness of this and chest pain. For these reasons, Chris cannot wear a face covering or mask.
He explained: “I have used the same Post Office my whole life.
"I was only yesterday (Thursday) that I was told that I couldn’t come in.
"They said my exemption card didn't matter, I couldn't come in without a mask.”
Chris claimed that they asked him why he had a medical exemption card, which he refused to answer.
He added: "I pay my rent in the Post Office, and as I wasn’t allowed in on the day, I went behind with my payments.
"Fortunately my landlord has been understanding.”
Chris lives in Sighthill, and his local Post Office doubles as a Pharmacy.
It is an essential workplace that has remained open throughout the pandemic.
A Post Office spokesperson said: “This Post Office is within a pharmacy and the operator takes the wearing of masks very seriously to protect other customers and staff.
"Customers with the correct exemption cards are allowed into the branch without a mask.
"We have issued advice to Postmasters about the wearing of masks by customers in branches and they can refuse a customer entry if they do not appear to have an official exemption card.”