Frustration mounts as Connecticut tattoo shops wait to reopen
Javier Eastman was among the Connecticut residents and business owners counting down the days until some businesses could reopen as part of the state's four-phase plan.
Anticipating a May 20 reopening, Eastman, owner of Causality Tattoo Company in Norwalk, had begun rescheduling the backlog of appointments that has been building since Connecticut enacted widespread measures to slow the spread of COVID-19.
Imagine his dismay when the state released its guidelines for phase one and tattoo parlors like the one he has run for 51⁄2 years weren’t included, but hair salons and barbershops were.
Eastman said his business, by its nature, already adheres to social distancing guidelines. He works alone on the first floor, while two tattoo artists are at least 20 feet apart on the second floor.
"We go by regulations every day, so we don't even need to learn them,” Eastman said, adding that tattoo shops already have the sterilization equipment now being sought by other businesses preparing to reopen.
Eastman said if officials are saying it’s hard for tattoo parlors to adhere to social distancing and be safe, “it is not true."
In an interview with WPLR Wednesday morning, Gov. Ned Lamont said his team “hadn’t really focused on” tattoo parlors, which fall into the category of personal services and probably will be included in phase two or three.
Lt. Gov. Susan Bysiewicz elaborated further on
WFSB's “Face the State” program, which aired Sunday.
"Tattoo parlors aren't on the list yet and in some states, tattoo parlors are the last things on the list,” she said. “So that is something that thus far our reopening committee has not thought would be safe to open right away."
Officials expect the second phase of reopening to begin in late June or early July. Phase three could begin in late July, but that will depend on data the state receives after the first two phases.
In an email, state Department of Economic and Community Development spokesman Jim Watson didn’t say exactly why tattoo parlors are not part of the initial phase.
"We understand that companies may be eager to reopen, but the state must carefully weigh the need to restart our economy with the need to protect the health of our residents," Watson said. "The phased approach is the best way to ensure we are moving forward in a responsible and safe manner.”
Eastman said he reached out to local government officials and was told the decision on which businesses open is in the state's hands.
"We as a community are so angry about it," Eastman said. "There is no real reason for us to be closed or keeping us closed when they are trying to open” other parts of the state.
“When the governor came out with a law that everybody had to close because of [COVID-19], we agreed,” he said. “But now that they are saying that it is safe enough to open some businesses, we don't understand why we are being left out."
This issue is not limited to Connecticut. Austin, Texas, tattoo parlor owners protested Tuesday, and state and local governments in Mississippi caused some confusion earlier this week on whether tattoo shops could reopen.