Australian woman charged over allegedly issuing hundreds of fake COVID-19 medical exemptions
A 45-year-old woman has been arrested on the Gold Coast in Queensland, Australia, and charged with allegedly pretending to be a doctor and issuing fake "medical exemption" certificates for COVID-19, ABC News reports.
The certificates state a person is exempt from undergoing COVID testing, receiving a vaccine and wearing a mask.
It will be alleged that the woman told police she had issued approximately 600 false COVID certificates.
Police issued a search warrant on Wednesday morning for an address in Labrador and arrested the woman, who is from Darling Heights in the Toowoomba region.
She was charged under Health Practitioner National Law with five counts of taking a title indicating a person is a health practitioner.
She is the first person in Queensland to be charged with the offence.
The woman is scheduled to appear at the Southport Magistrates Court on Thursday, October 28.
Police are continuing their investigations.