Staff Reports
Tattoo parlors will not be reopening alongside restaurants and retail businesses Monday, the Governor’s office clarified on Sunday.
Helen Aguirre Ferre, a spokesperson for Gov. Ron DeSantis, said “tattoo parlors are not included in Phase One reopening.”
Her statement came after some Floridians said they were confused about whether tattoo shops were included in the first phase of the Governor’s “Safe. Smart. Step-by-Step.” plan.
Phase One doesn’t allow for barbershops, beauty salons or spas to open. Tattoo parlors are waiting alongside them to reopen — there is no concrete date when those businesses will open.
Phase One of DeSantis’ plan allows restaurants to serve customers in outdoor seating spaced six feet apart, in accordance with social distancing guidelines, and allows for restaurant dining rooms to operate at 25% capacity.
Retailers also must adhere to the 25% capacity rule.
Additionally, the plan allows hospitals to resume elective surgeries, which were paused in late March in order to prevent the spread of the coronavirus to patients who came for care unrelated to COVID-19.
DeSantis’ plan is largely viewed as a cautious effort and has been praised by President Donald Trump as well as some Democrats who had been urging the Governor to be extra careful.
It stands in contrast to the aggressive reopening plan one state to the north — Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp is allowing tattoo parlors to open along with barbershops, beauty salons and other similar businesses.
Kemp has also greenlit reopening gyms and movie theatres, neither of which have been scheduled to reopen in Florida.
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Florida Politics reporter Scott Powers contributed to this post.
