• Benefiting families to receive $300 each
• Massage locations and tattoos/piercing business to open May 15

Ohio State has received a notice of approval of more than $250 million for Pandemic Electronic Benefits Transfer, EBT program from the United States Department of Agriculture in the Families First Coronavirus Response Act of 2020 with benefiting families expected to receive $300 each.

“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,” said Governor Mike DeWine.

The Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) is an electronic system that allows a recipient to authorize transfer of their government benefits from a Federal account to a retailer account to pay for products received. EBT is used in all 50 States, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, and Guam. EBT has been implemented in all States since June of 2004.

The Families First Coronavirus Response Act of 2020 provides the Secretary of Agriculture authority to approve state agency plans for temporary emergency standards of eligibility and levels of benefits under the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008.

Children who would receive free or reduced-price meals under the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act if not for the school closure are eligible under this provision. State agencies may submit plans in any case in which a school is closed for at least 5 consecutive days during a public health emergency designation during which the school would otherwise be in session.

Meanwhile, as the state continues its economy open back up with retailers opening Tuesday, May 12, 2020, massage locations and tattoos/piercing businesses will be permitted to reopen with proper safety protocols on Friday, May 15, 2020.

Governor DeWine said, “although consumer and retail stores are reopening in Ohio today, COVID19 is still here. Your good choices flattened the curve, and it’s up to all of us to continue to be careful:

practice social distancing, wear face coverings, wash your hands and sanitize surfaces.”