Retail back in business; Tattoo shops to reopen Friday

COLUMBUS — Ohio retail locations were permitted to resume operations on Tuesday, which Gov, Mike DeWine said meant “90 percent” of the station had reopened from the coronavirus closure.

The governor announced at Tuesday’s news conference that massage locations, as well as tattoo and piercing businesses could reopen on Friday, May 15.

DeWine said these locations would be required to follow safety protocols from the Ohio Department of Health.

Dewine also said the state’s Pandemic EBT Plan was approved by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The program, which was included in the Families First Coronavirus Response Act of 2020, will allow the state Department of Job and Family Services to distribute SNAP benefits to 850,000 students across Ohio, he said..

“These are children who relied on free or reduced-price meal programs when school was in session to have access to a hot, nutritious meal,” DeWine said. “The benefits will be mailed directly to students, and families don’t need to apply to be eligible. Families will receive around $300 to purchase healthy and nutritious foods to feed their children.”

The governor said the benefits amount to more than $250 million that will go to the state’s grocery stores and other eligible retailers.