A Moncton tattoo shop that opened just before the pandemic hit is struggling to survive amid the latest COVID-19 restrictions.
Lovecraft Body Arts on Mountain Road is grateful to be open said tattoo artist, Nate MacDonald. But operating amid the lastest orange phase of COVID-19 restrictions he said, has been a challenge.
“I had almost a whole week of cancellations last week,” which MacDonald said may be related to the pandemic. He is one of several artists who work out of the shop.
MacDonald says as the number of cases of COVID-19 continues to grow, some people are simply too nervous to venture out. But he said that under the stricter level orange phase, the artists are not permitted to have more than one person in their open waiting area at a time, even though he said there is plenty of room to practice physical distancing.
Clients, he said, are now being forced to wait in their cars which has been somewhat of a deterrent.
“I think it is probably a little uncomfortable and especially where we are hitting December now and it is definitely not the best time to be stuck outside if you don’t have a car,” said Matt Bellamy who is also an artist at the shop.
On Monday, the provinces Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Jennifer Russell said the province has designed its operational plan for businesses with Worksafe New Brunswick and she said that isn’t prepared to recommend loosening those restrictions.
“From a public health perspective that is how to run their business as safely as possible,” she said.
MacDonald said after the Atlantic bubble burst and travel restrictions were tightened within his own province he lost about 25 per cent more of his already dwindled clientele.
“I have got people from Nova Scotia and P.E.I. and different parts of New Brunswick and they are just not traveling here,” he said.
“It has definitely taken a hit on the finances for sure.”
Questions about COVID-19? Here are some things you need to know:
Symptoms can include fever, cough and difficulty breathing — very similar to a cold or flu. Some people can develop a more severe illness. People most at risk of this include older adults and people with severe chronic medical conditions like heart, lung or kidney disease. If you develop symptoms, contact public health authorities.
To prevent the virus from spreading, experts recommend frequent handwashing and coughing into your sleeve. They also recommend minimizing contact with others, staying home as much as possible and maintaining a distance of two metres from other people if you go out. In situations where you can’t keep a safe distance from others, public health officials recommend the use of a non-medical face mask or covering to prevent spreading the respiratory droplets that can carry the virus. In some provinces and municipalities across the country, masks or face coverings are now mandatory in indoor public spaces.
For full COVID-19 coverage from Global News, click here.
Comments