Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost has sent a cease and desist letter to Hobby Lobby after the arts-and-crafts retailer reopened its stores in Ohio, despite a state order banning non-essential businesses.

"What's changed? Neither the order, nor the seriousness of the health threat, for sure," Yost wrote on Twitter.

At his coronavirus briefing Wednesday, Gov. Mike DeWine says local municipalities are taking action to enforce the state's March 22 order shutting down all "non-essential businesses and operations."

“I know one mayor sent out 250 letters several days ago to companies that were in violation, so they have every ability to shut them down,” DeWine says. “This will be done in conjunction with the local health department. Many of the cities have health departments.”

Despite that, Hobby Lobby moved this week to reopen dozens of stores in Ohio and Wisconsin, which has its own shelter-in-place order. In Milwaukee, several of the arts-and-crafts stores were shut down by police after they briefly opened Monday.

Five Hobby Lobby locations in Central Ohio also re-opened this week and are operating under normal business hours. At the Polaris location, the store hung a sign declaring "Operating as an Essential Businesses," and saying that they sell medical and educational supplies.

One store worker that WOSU spoke to on the phone said that their location was closed last week, and he doesn't know why it opened this week.

DeWine said he will issue another order Thursday to back up the non-essential business closures.

“These laws need to be enforced. The order is there,” DeWine says. “We will be issuing another order tomorrow, and we’ll talk about that tomorrow. But the enforcement is very, very important.”

Lt. Gov. Jon Husted has said businesses that believe they qualify should be prepared to explain to employees and local officials, and that health departments would penalize violators.

Ohio's order defines what businesses were considered "essential," including: grocery stores, pharmacies, food supply companies, media organizations, gas stations and transportation services, banks, hardware and supply stores, laundry services, professional services like law firms and real estate companies, hotels and motels, and delivery and take-out restaurants.

Hobby Lobby store managers and corporate officials declined comment.