WALLINGFORD, Conn. — With a wide range of businesses opening during phase 2 - Connecticut residents can now begin to regain a new sense of normal. Nails salons, bowling alleys, tattoo parlors, and gyms are just a few of the many businesses that are open in a limited capacity.
FOX61's Rachel Piscitelli visited Wallingford where she toured two businesses right down the street from each other. One a fitness center, the other a tattoo parlor.
At Triton Athletics, Owner Stephen Rossacci was training a full class of 12. The boxes now spaced 14 ft apart from each other. Classes started with hand sanitizing and ended with cleaning all of the equipment. Rossacci said he and the community were excited to get back into the gym.
"So we were closed on March 16 we very quickly moved to online to zoom our whole community moves to zoom and we were doing workouts three times a day. It was really fun coaching on zoom and seeing them every day," said Rossacci. "We averaged anywhere between 20 to 35 athletes a day on zoom throughout our classes so we were just able to stay in communication with our community. Were all in this together I can’t thank them enough for their support they help me through this whole thing as much as I help them."
Just a few miles down the road, Tattoo International's phones were ringing, the staff we're scheduling appointments and clients were coming in to get tattooed. The business open for thirty years has never had to close its doors until the pandemic.
Now Owner Mark Savakis says the biggest change is, "the flow of traffic for us, unfortunately, we can’t allow our customers to just come in in groups anymore, they often bring friends and sit and joke and get tattooed and have a good time. It’s a little more serious but the people who want to get tattooed they’re fine with the rules."
In addition to no guests, masks must be worn at all times, the working stations are spread apart. As for cleaning the equipment, Savakis explained that that's always been number one, even prior to COVID-19
"The tools have always been as safe," said Savakis. "As sanitary, as we can make it and everything is single service and disposable these days and that eliminates any problems that you might come across"