Hal and Bella Hunter at their tattoo parlour.Credit:Simon Schluter
Hunter,who operates and co-owns the Carlton Tattoo Co. in Carlton North with his wife Bella and fellow tattooist Bobby Skins,says that tattooists were disheartened to learn that their industry would need 14 consecutive days of zero COVID-19 cases in Victoria from November 23 before they would be permitted to operate again.
"We could then open on November 24 at the earliest,''said Hunter,a tattooist since he finished in football in 2013 without playing at senior league level."For an industry we've been closed for every week since March,except the five weeks in June and July that we were allowed to reopen.''
Victoria was the only state in which tattooing was shut down.
Hunter,the only current or ex-Essendon player to sue the club who was not suspended for doping violations (his suit related to health concerns and he was no longer playing),contends that tattoo studios should be in the same category as hairdressing and retail.
"We're in the same boat as beauty parlours and nail salons and I've seen recently they've been quite public in voicing the exact same concerns that we have as tattooers. I guess the real thing that we are asking – which is in the petition – is that we are included on October 26 reopening date.
"As an industry we could implement some safety measures that would make it safe enough for us to reopen at the same time as them."
Hunter's tattoo shop had captured a decent share of the inner north's arty hipster clientele,but he says the business has lost 90 per cent of monthly income – which would be zero if JobKeeper ceases,unless there was a reopening. He estimated there were up to 50 tattoo studios in the inner north and central business district.