Many people suffer from foot pain and other podiatric related issues and need shoes and proper support...especially health care providers in the heat of the war against COVID-19. As a type of transportation walking/running should be considered an essential business as bicycle shops and other forms of transportation. Also, first responders and other essential employees have no place to purchase necessary supportive footwear necessary to adequately perform their job to prevent overuse injury.

Covid 19 is affecting the economy in major ways and forcing people to make tough decisions for their families based upon recent events and work displacement. To ease the economical pain in our industry it is in our best discretion to open back up with these limited restrictions. Moreover the quarantine was implemented to flatten the curve of the spread of covid 19 to ensure that hospitals were not overwhelmed all at once and to help prevent such rapid spread. The number of people infected is currently on a decline and the numbers aren’t as bad as once projected. Additionally Tattoo artist are trained and certified in blood borne pathogens and cross contamination as well as many other medical safety and sterility procedures.

Allow fitness centers to open with the 10-20 person in the gym at a time for smaller locations and 50 for larger locations starting as of Monday April 27, 2020. All necessary precautions and sanitation protocols approved by the state of IL and the local Board of Health will be followed. Our industry needs to be recognized & deemed as an essential business so we can better serve our community, for their physical and mental health. Some people do not understand what the gym does for people because they have never experienced it. Taking a walk or trying to exercise at home is not the same as working out at a gym. Maintaining a 10 person rule, maintaining a 6 feet distance and upping the sanitation of the facility, as we were doing before the complete shut down on March 25th, can be accomplished as we were doing. A gym environment that enforces these sanitation and social distancing rules are in a better position compared to 20 or more people in a grocery store or 10 plus people at restaurants picking up food. If gym staff or members have any illness or signs of illness, they should do as they have done in the past and stay home, just like they would for their regular job. Why is this important? There are several small business gym owners across the United States that may not survive if they do not have the chance to open back up with these restrictions and soon. The key word is in the name, small business means not alot of people at one time anyway. Most small business owners took the leap and used their own money to make that move. Now several will not survive. Please help small business gym owners open back up so we have a fighting chance of surviving and making sure that our communities have a gym to go back to. Alot of small communities rely on the small business gyms to survive.

The survival of the independent beauty professionals is at risk. We are facing a grave financial hardship.

Dogs need grooming! As groomers we do more than just make the dog look pretty. We are the first to notice skin conditions fleas hotspots ticks matting fatty tumors warts and ear infections while we are grooming your dog. So saying that dog grooming is not an essential is absolutely ludicrous. Per the ASPCA and many veterinarians along with PetMD dog grooming is an essential. It is also a trade business that should be open as long as the grooming salons are practicing social distancing with protection of masks. We need to be open we need to be considered an essential not just to the people but to the pets who have no voice!

Most pets require monthly haircuts and or grooming. With that being said, our clientele may have underlying skin conditions that require the pet to have weekly and or biweekly shampoo and grooming treatments. Breeds that require monthly grooming and if not kept on a monthly schedule, this can lead to excessive hair matting, skin infections, and ear infections to name a few. Also along with the excessive growth in the pets toenails.

COVID-19 is decimating the economy in many ways and forcing barbers and stylists to make tough decisions for survival of their families based on the recent stay at home orders and work displacement. To ease the economical pain and suffering in our industry, it is in our best discretion to open back up with limited restrictions. Furthermore, the Governor's stay at home order was implemented to flatten the curve of the spread of the virus to ensure hospitals were not overrun and overwhelmed and to help prevent rapid spread of the virus. According to the federal government, the number of infected is on the decline and nationwide there have been admittedly lower numbers than originally projected. This will also help barbers and stylists work in a controled environment while being able to provide for their families. Additionally, barbers are trained and certified for many medical safety and sterile procedure.

The large majority of beauty industry professionals are self employed and do not yet qualify for unemployment benefits.

Almost All Texas artist have exhausted all options as to was way to stay afloat and want to tattoo safely , this is our livelihood and how we feed our families and deserve to be back open

These are mostly small locally owned businesses who can’t sustain a prolonged shutdown.

Trump’s tweets are replete with blatant inaccuracies and lies that are threatening our national security and endangering the lives of Americans. Twitter must act and stop this or they will have blood on their hands!

There are many essential workers like the governor, police, doctors, EMT workers, correction officers, store workers, food workers, kids, teens and all Americans who need to reduce their high levels of stress during these unprecedented times. Martial arts schools are equipped with Heavy bags, in many cases spaced out, and can provide great instructed classes. Considering this will create a sense of normality and have these frontliners, along with the American people, feel great and ready to report to work feeling strong and healthy. As we know, a healthy immune system is ideal to fight the Covid-19; this will also help with all the stress eating that is going around, which is creating a bigger problem in the health of many families. The governor of CT has shut down gyms and fitness centers as well Martial Arts academies and has deemed them non-essential. We are essential, especially when the mission is to keep kids, teens, and adults active and healthy, which is ideal given the current situation. Support the movement of healthy living and support the martial arts community.