St. John's tattoo studio owner says businesses are being gouged for protective equipment

A St. John's tattoo artist says businesses that have beenbeing closed since March because of COVID-19 are being gouged when they try to buy protective equipment they need to reopen, and she's calling on the province to stop it.

Laura Casey, owner of Lady Lo's Custom Tattoos, has seen the price of masks she uses at workskyrocket to manytimes what she paid before the pandemic.

"I'm looking at prices that are four or five times, even six times what I used to pay," she said.

Recently she paid $120 for abox of 50 surgicalmasks that used to cost less than $20. She estimates it could add thousands of dollars to her annual costs.

Providing masks to customers, and wearing two herself, Casey expects to burn through protective equipment quickly.

If price gouging is happening and people are taking advantage of the desperate, I absolutely think that the government has to step in.- Laura Casey

She says people who ink tattoos are trained to prevent blood-borne infections and now they expect to use more protective equipmentto prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus through airborne droplets.

Lady Lo's Custom Tattoos has been closed since mid-March. Casey has managed to stay afloat with federal relief money, an understanding landlord, and deferred bill payments.

"It'spinching pennies but I've been able to manage it so I can keep the business," she said

But it's been difficult and the high cost of protective equipment, whichmany businesses need to operate in accordance with public health orders,feels like a kick when you're already down, she said.

Casey said the provincial governmentshouldprevent people who sell protective equipmentfrom taking advantage of people who need items such as masks and gloves.

"I think price gouging is inevitably going to happen. People are going to try to profit. So what is the government's plan to make this stuff accessible? Because, you know, this could be a year or two," she said.

"Is there going to be a price control or cap on the cost of masks? I think if price gouging is happening and people are taking advantage of the desperate, I absolutely think that the government has to step in."

Casey points to British Columbia, where police now have the power to fine people up to $2,000 for taking advantage of shortages to charge exorbitant prices for medical supplies.

• B.C. enables police to issue $2K fines for price gouging, reselling of medical supplies

Many Newfoundland and Labrador businesses hope to open their doors as soon as June 8, the earliestthe province is expected to move to Alert Level 3 of its phased reopening plan, so Casey is calling on the government to act quickly.

"Next week people are going to scramble and there are inevitably people who are going to take advantage of that for sure," she said.

Casey says the protective equipment she ordered isn't due to arrive until late June, soshe's now planning to start serving customers again in July.

"I want to do a soft rollout.I want to make sure that what I establish is doable for the long term. I've figured out a financial way to do that, which is not everybody's option," she said.

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