Defiant N.J. gym shut down by state, owners vow to sue Murphy
A gym in Bellmawr that reopened Monday, violating an executive order from Gov. Phil Murphy, was shut down Thursday morning by state and county health departments. “Alright guys, so we arrived at the gym this morning to Governor Murphy’s dirty tricks, playing with his power in the health department," one of the owners said in a video posted to the gym’s Instagram page Thursday. "For right now, the gym will be closed. We have a full cleaning crew inside, once again, going above and beyond.”
The Instagram story also included a typed message saying, “Filing a suit against (Murphy) first thing this morning.” Murphy declined to comment on the gym directly during a radio interview on WPG in Atlantic City on Thursday morning. “Because it’s unfolding, I won’t comment on the specifics of that particular facility," the governor said. ”We’ve taken a whole lot of steps already to begin to open the state up, I think, responsibly," Murphy added. "The inside stuff is harder. The folks have to understand the virus is still out there. ... We’ll get there. We’re just not there yet.”
Murphy did say during a separate interview on CNBC that he may allow more indoor businesses such as salons and gyms to reopen with restrictions “in a matter of weeks.” Orange stickers from the Camden County Health Department declaring an embargo and a four-page notice from the state Department of Health were taped to the door of Atilis Gym.
The signs were placed on the storefront “with no inspection of the building or anything,” Co-owner Frank Trumbetti told FOX 29. “They did it overnight like cowards,” Trumbetti told NJ Advance Media. He also vowed to reopen despite the state’s action. "We’re opening up tomorrow morning no matter what,” Trumbetti said. Trumbetti said he doesn’t know what the embargo means and the state health department notice referred to a statute involving infectious disease.
The sewer system serving the gym backed up Wednesday, “right after [Gov. Murphy’s daily] briefing where they said the Board of Health would be involved,” Trumbetti told FOX 29, forcing members to evacuate. A sewage remediation team was onsite Thursday, according to FOX 29. A call to an attorney for the gym was not immediately returned. The Camden County department of health spokesperson also could not be reached immediately.
A spokesperson for the state Department of Health declined to comment beyond the order, which was sent NJ Advance Media. Although Atilis Gym "is purporting to take its own measures to address COVID-19 transmission” the state cannot “simply allow business owners to set their own divergent health measures, done without the approval of the state and it’s health officials,” the order says. It also bans Atilis Gym from opening until further notice. Failure to comply with the order could result in criminal sanctions and/or civil penalties for violating the department of health’s order and the for violating Executive Order 107.
As of Wednesday, there were at least 150,399 cases of coronavirus in New Jersey and 10,747 deaths attributed to the virus. “Indoor gyms and fitness centers present particularly high-risk settings for the spread of COVID-19, in part because customers of these facilities engage in physical activities that increase the customers’ respiratory activity, which in turn can increase the amount of respiratory droplets or aerosols in a confined setting,” the order says.
The prolonged and close person-to-person contact presented by personal trainers, spotters and the use of communal equipment also increase the risk of spread, the order says. The National Institutes of Health have found that the virus may live on plastic and steel surfaces -- such as barbells, dumbbells and treadmills, for up to 72 hours.
Atilis Gym in Bellmawr allowed a limited number of members to use the facility beginning Monday. Their temperatures were checked as they entered and they were required to wear face coverings and follow other rules. Co-owner Ian Smith said they were limiting capacity to 20% or about 44 people at a time. Murphy was asked Monday during his coronavirus briefing about the gym’s reopening and he suggested the efforts to enforce the closure order may ramp up.
The owners of the gym said they opened it less than a year ago and the lockdown has “strangled” their business. They said they would continue to operate despite the tickets and a GoFundMe page started to pay their fines has raised more than $50,000 as of Thursday.
The gym had been issued at least three citations since opening, each of which includes a fine of up to $1,000 and possible jail time. Trumbetti said the gym will remain closed but he encouraged members to come work out in the parking lot.
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