COVID-19 and Tattooing

Fruit Camp opened our doors in February 2020 - our space and risk reduction practices have been marked by COVID-19 since our second month of operation. It is our opinion that the prioritization of the economy over people is irresponsible and prioritizes profit over people’s lives is endemic to US capitalist policy, and that 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 returning to “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. We remain a fully masked space, and require masks to be worn by all visitors, customers and artists. We also take additional precautions including:

  • Minimizing excess guests to appointments to reduce contact.

  • Requiring guests to cancel appointments if they experience COVID-19 symptoms or receive a positive test, and encouraging people to do this by honoring deposits for positive tests.

  • Encouraging guests to rapid test ahead of their appointments.

  • Providing free masks and free take-home rapid tests, in addition to other care-related harm reduction supplies in our bathroom and shop front.

  • Requiring artists and other FC members to wear KN95 masks or above at work.

  • Requiring artists who test positive for COVID-19 to take a full 10 days off of appointments to reduce transmission, and endeavoring to support them in doing so.


    *note: Your artist has agreed to these guidelines, but may include additional ones in their personal booking process.