Guy gets QR code tattoo on his arm to prove he’s Covid-free

Someone may have cracked the code of finding a way to show vaccination proof.

Since the beginning of the month, Italy has required that people who choose to dine inside restaurants or go to cultural events show a “Green Pass,” a certificate that can be virtual or paper that proves vaccination, recovered from Covid-19 or received a negative test.

In a recent article from Italian magazine Corriere della Calabria, Andrea Colonnetta, a student, decided to show proof in a different way.

Colonnetta decided to get a tattoo of a Quick Response, or most commonly known as a QR code which confirmed he received the Covid-19 vaccination.

QR codes have become standard as society begins to reopen after the rise of coronavirus. Common examples of this can be seen when going out to restaurants, and the menu is accessed through scanning a QR code with your smartphone camera.

The codes are similar to barcodes that are used to input and transfer personal data from one system to the next.

QR codes have also helped track the spread of the virus and looked out for visitors across business sectors in the case of a Covid outbreak.

In TikTok videos, onlookers got to see it all as Colonnetta got inked, and he tested out the code’s effectiveness in various places.

The videos are courtesy of Gabrielle Pellerone, the tattoo artist responsible for the design on his arm.

Pellerone, who goes by @gabrielepelleronereal on the platform, showed Colonetta’s tattoo being tested with a smartphone, which seemed to recognise the code immediately.

However, the moment of truth happened in another video when Colonnetta and friends went to McDonald's to see if the fresh new ink would let him in—and it did.

In conversation with indy100, Pellerone, the artist who created the tattoo, said that he wanted to highlight the “historical moment with the tattoo,” so he decided to use the “Green Pass.” He also noted that Andrea was willing to be the canvas.

“I posted a story on Instagram and I found Andrea, who was willing to do it. We gave it a try at the restaurant, and it worked... I believe the tattoo is an art, just as an artist represents something through a painting or a sculpture, even a tattoo artist can do it through a tattoo,” Pellerone said.

Colonnetta noted that the design was “an original thing.” “I like to stand out,” he told the news outlet.

He also noted family was “a bit stunned,” although he has other tattoos.

“The beauty is that my father discovered it from the web. Of course, he invited me to be less impulsive and to reflect better on things,” he said.

Colonnetta also informed the outlet that he had received two doses of the vaccine and the mockery he received from people about his tattoo.

“I didn’t expect my tattoo to go viral on social media; it’s bulls***,” he said.

Despite this, Colonnetta has become an internet sensation.

indy100 also reached out to  Collonnetta for further comment.