- Title: Staten Island tattoo studio reopens after coronavirus lockdown
- Date: 8th July 2020
- Summary: NEW YORK, NEW YORK, UNITED STATES (JULY 6, 2020) (REUTERS) INKSTAINED TATTOO STUDIO WITH NEWLY INSTALLED PLASTIC CURTAINS VARIOUS OF ARTIST TATTOOING (SOUNDBITE) (English) INKSTAINED TATTOO STUDIO CLIENT AND STATEN ISLAND RESIDENT, ANALIA ACEVEDO, SAYING: "Oh, man, it's awesome, like I had been thinking about it for months, so the fact that, like, I got to come in on opening day was, like, awesome. I think they got a lot of great things here, like, to make you feel safe. I mean, like, I feel I'm just glad that I'm here. Yeah, I am really." PAN SHOWING NEWLY INSTALLED CURTAIN BETWEEN TATTOO CHAIRS (SOUNDBITE) (English) INKSTAINED TATTOO STUDIO ARTIST, TRAMAINE MILES, SAYING: "I'm super excited to be back at work. I really did enjoy the time off, but it was a little bit long, a little bit too long. It feels really good to be back in the chair." VARIOUS OF ARTIST TATTOOING (SOUNDBITE) (English) INKSTAINED TATTOO STUDIO OWNER, MICHAEL HERBERT, SAYING: "It's overwhelming. Everybody's happy. We don't know what's in store for us right now. Hopefully we can keep the business like we should have. When we were closed, we were at the height of our busy season, so we lost a lot of work due to that. Hopefully it picks up and we can... Everybody supports us." VARIOUS OF ARTIST TATTOOING (SOUNDBITE) (English) INKSTAINED TATTOO STUDIO OWNER, MICHAEL HERBERT, SAYING: "Well, with all the guidelines, a lot of people are still afraid of the COVID-19, some are afraid to come out of their house. They're afraid to deal with people. We are in close proximity with our customers, so it's a little bit of a different, of a business, so let's see how how it goes. Hopefully we do the right things, take the right protocols to make people feel comfortable in what they are doing, and then pray for a good future." VARIOUS OF HERBERT AT INKSTAINED TATTOO STUDIO'S RECEPTION DESK WITH ASSOCIATE (SOUNDBITE) (English) INKSTAINED TATTOO STUDIO OWNER, MICHAEL HERBERT, SAYING: "I don't think the city realized what they did do to small business by forcing them, any business, to shut down. This is our livelihood. This is all we have. A lot of these artists are independent contractors. They work on commission, and they work solely with their customers. It's very... it's a very hard industry to be in to begin with and be forced to shut down for four months. It's very difficult." VARIOUS OF ARTISTS TATTOOING (SOUNDBITE) (English) INKSTAINED TATTOO STUDIO OWNER, MICHAEL HERBERT, SAYING: "In my mind, I didn't think it would be more than about two or three weeks, four weeks tops. And once we started hitting Phase 3 at four months, it became a little bit concerning. You got utility bills we still have to deal with, landlords and rent that we still have to deal with, and we still have even gone through all that. So, I don't know how that's gonna play out yet. Hopefully it works out. My landlord is pretty good, so." VARIOUS OF TATTOO ARTISTS WITH CUSTOMER AND NEWLY INSTALLED CURTAINS INKSTAINED TATTOO STUDIO EXTERIOR
- Embargoed: 22nd July 2020 18:22
- Keywords: COVID-19 Inkstained Tattoo Studio coronavirus lockdown reopening. tattoo
- Location: NEW YORK, NEW YORK, UNITED STATES
- City: NEW YORK, NEW YORK, UNITED STATES
- Country: USA
- Topics: Health/Medicine
- Reuters ID: LVA001CLY7W3R
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: It's legal once again to get a tattoo in New York just about anywhere on your body - except under the face mask still required as the city reopens after once being the epicenter of the U.S. coronavirus outbreak.
Business was booming at InkStained Tattoo Studio on New York's Staten Island on Monday (July 6), as tattoo aficionados rushed to body art parlors across New York after being shuttered for more than three months. At InkStained, only limited number of customers could be inside at once and each of the five artists had about 30 people on their waiting lists.
"Oh man, it's awesome - I had been thinking about it for months," said customer Analia Acevedo of Staten Island, who was getting the underside of her forearm tattooed with an elaborate blue and purple rose design.
"They got a lot of great things here to make you feel safe," said Acevedo, gazing at newly installed curtains between tattoo chairs to create a barrier against COVID-19.
Artist Tramaine Miles agreed.
"I'm super excited to be back at work," she said.
"I really did enjoy the time off, but it was a little bit long, a little bit too long. It feels really good to be back in the chair."
InkStained studio owner Michael Herbert said the closure left him worried about paying bills.
"I don't think the city realized what they did do to small business by forcing them, any business, to shut down. This is our livelihood. This is all we have," he said. "It's a very hard industry to be in to begin with and be forced to shut down for four months. It's very difficult."
Customers are all required to wear masks and have their temperatures taken. Staff additionally wear eye coverings and gloves. And hand sanitizer at the studio is plentiful.
"We are in close proximity with our customers, so it's a little bit of a different of a business," Herbert said. "Let's see how how it goes. Hopefully we do the right things, take the right protocols to make people feel comfortable in what they are doing, and then pray for a good future."
(Production: Aleksandra Michalska) - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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