WINNIPEG —
Regardless of code purple restrictions being prolonged, the droning hum of a tattoo gun may very well be heard within The Parlor Tattoos on Saturday.
Phil McLellan opened his Foremost Road tattoo store on the morning of January 9, regardless that public well being orders say it isn’t allowed to.
“You need to go alongside and get alongside, however sooner or later, it’s important to take a stand,” he mentioned. “We’re being floor down by arbitrary authorities choices that say, ‘you may work, you may work, however you may’t.'”
Tattooing for many of his life, McLellan opened The Parlor Tattoos six years in the past. He mentioned these previous few months have been the toughest.
“Everybody ought to have a nest egg of three months, however we have doubled that,” McLellan mentioned. “I am barely making it.”
McLellan claims his enterprise is not eligible for many aid packages due to his low payroll.
“Whether or not it was by design or not, the federal government has left most small companies out of the flexibility to entry any of the funds they rolled out,” he mentioned.
Nonetheless, McLellan did obtain $5000 from the Bridge Grant.
“Whereas I am enormously appreciative there was one thing, my lease right here is $3200 a month, McLellan mentioned. “It barely lined my payments right here, nevertheless it would not cowl any of my dwelling bills.”
Whereas apprehensive concerning the advantageous, McLellan mentioned he is extra apprehensive about his household of 4.
“I’ve to fret about fines after I fear about feeding my household,” he mentioned.
McLellan claims enforcement officers did go to and informed him he was breaking the Public Well being Act. He was not issued a proper warning or advantageous.
CTV Information reached out to the province for remark however has not heard again but.
TATTOOING AMID COVID-19
McLellan believes tattooing could be accomplished safely in the course of the pandemic.
When a buyer is available in, McLellan quizzes them about journey, COVID-19 signs and shut contacts.
After a fast squirt of hand sanitizer, the masked buyer will get their tattoo.
McLellan says tattoo artists are consultants at sanitizing.
“We have been doing that each one alongside as a result of we work with blood born pathogens,” he mentioned. “We will cope with HIV, Aids, hepatitis, however we won’t cope with COVID-19?”
If a COVID-19 case was discovered inside the shop, McLellan claims all he’d must do is examine the necessary launch kinds to let folks know.
“We have now launch kinds that purchasers should fill out which might be contact tracing strategies,” he mentioned.
McLellan mentioned he would not perceive why folks would name out a small enterprise for opening.
“It is mind-boggling that somebody would disgrace somebody for making an attempt to earn a dwelling,” McLellan mentioned.
