Please reopen the tattoo industry.

As Professional Tattoo Artists we have been practicing anti contamination for many years and believe that we are more than equipped to trade moving forward through this pandemic.
We fully appreciate both the State and Federal Governments stance on keeping Australia and our State of Victoria safe yet we need to create steps to move forward to reopen our industry and allow people back to work.
We ask to restore a sense of normality back to the public who express themselves through body art; I speak for myself and on behalf of other Tattoo Artists and clients who allow us the privilege to safely put our art on their bodies.
Our daily practices include a complete new set up for each client which is assembled by a gloved trained artist including machine, cord and bottle shields and everything is strictly single use.
All surfaces are disinfected prior and post client with Viracleen which is a hard-surface disinfectant that has proven to be effective against Candida albicans, Hepatitis B virus, Herpes Simplexvirus and the Influenza virus and Coronaviruses including SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19).
Prior to the Covid-19 pandemic and a measure that will not cease even long after it is over is the use of hand sanitiser at all stations, front counter and all basins. We also provide antibacterial soap at all basins with disposable hand drying towel.
We are more than willing to include into our daily interactions with clients the use of masks for both the Artist and client and limiting the amount of people within studios. We can amend our Consent to Tattoo Procedure forms with Covid specific questions and take a non contact temperature reading of each client prior to their session.
We have been closed since the 25th March 2020 and as much as we have been following all press conferences of the Prime Minister, The Premier and Health Ministers we have also been seeing many “backyard” tattooists popping up on the likes of Social Media, Marketplace and Gumtree to name a few, which we as professional artists have been trying to fight against for the safety of all tattoo enthusiasts for many years.
Professional Studios not being able to trade and abiding by the law of closing our doors has opened up a plethora of unqualified, untrained and outright dangerous acts from people who claim to be artists and can indeed infect, scar and put many Australians at risk - all to cash in on our industry being closed.
I understand that body art may not rate highly among many Politicians yet for a very large chunk of society it’s how we celebrate, commemorate and express ourselves. We all want to do this in a safe environment where we are not endangering ourselves nor the public.
Our industry is suffering. Our artists are suffering. We are prepared to adhere to new requirements and procedures to ensure we can open our doors again and not only make money to support our families but take yet another safe step forward in opening our country and state back up again.
I ask that we are considered when you do review any lifting of restrictions.