COVID-19 and Tattooing
COVID-19 remains an extraordinarily deadly pandemic, with a significant rate of transmission in Maryland as of January 2024. It is our opinion that the prioritization of the economy over people is irresponsible and prioritizes profit over people’s lives.
COVID-19 is not “over” and we are not safe. This virus is disproportionately deadly to Black people and disabled people due to the systemic inequity of our medical system and overall social structure, which makes continuing “business as usual” particularly irresponsible in a city like Baltimore. We want to see a fundamental change to how the world “does business” - one that prioritizes accessibility and radical anti-ableist and anti-racist inclusion over profits.
Having acknowledged this, Fruit Camp is open and operated by individuals in collaboration who need to support themselves. We are a group of tattooers that include immuno-compromised people, disabled people, and people who have been harmed by the healthcare system presently and ancestrally. We are committed to providing as safe and low-risk of a tattoo experience as possible. To do that we have created the below precautions:
FRUIT CAMP AND COVID-19
Client and Artist Document
Client Protocols:
+Clients must properly wear kn95 at all times while in the space.
+Clients are encouraged to seek COVID-19 testing prior to their booking date.
+Clients must hand sanitize upon entering Fruit Camp.
+Clients may not have additional guests or visitors during the tattoo appointment to minimize people in the space.
+Clients must cancel the appointment if they experience COVID-19 symptoms, or receive a positive test and are strongly encouraged to get tested before their appointment (freely accessible in MD) allowing enough time to receive results before the appointment.
+Food or drink must be consumed outside of the shop space and hands must be re-sanitized upon entry.
*note: there are many anecdotes of tattoos healing poorly when overlapping with a recent COVID vaccination (within two weeks). If possible, schedule your vaccine or booster at least two weeks before or after your tattoo.
Artist Protocols:
+Artists will wear N95 Masks or equivalents, and gloves at all times during the appointments.
+Artists will wash their hands thoroughly before and after each appointment, or any time gloves are changed.
+Fruit Camp will minimize appointment overlap and artists will book clients with enough time between to thoroughly sanitize shared surfaces before their next client arrives.
+All working Artists will seek a COVID-19 symptom test before beginning to take appointments, especially if traveling from out of state, and continue to seek routine COVID-19 testing while working.
+All Artists will cancel their appointments and alert all other artists if they test positive for COVID-19 or are experiencing symptoms.
+Any Artist who tests positive for COVID-19 will do a full, 10-day quarantine before returning to work.
+Any Artist with a known-exposure to COVID-19 will seek a PCR test 3-5 days after exposure, and limit their work contact until receiving a negative test.
*note: Your artist has agreed to these guidelines, but may include additional ones in their personal booking process.