From a passerby’s point of view, California Ripped Fitness looks (mostly) taken from pre-pandemic times.
People walk in and out of the San Jose gym, wearing leggings, shorts and sneakers, continuing to exercise, despite state and municipal regulations that prohibit gyms from operating indoors.
California Ripped has some recognition of the realities of the pandemic – a requirement for a mask and materials to clean equipment after use. It is not clear whether there are guidelines for social distance or capacity limits.
But the gym moved on, remaining open, despite more than $ 500,000 in fines and the threat of legal action by Santa Clara County. In fact, he makes his feelings about the closure of the county very clear.
“We are not saying that there is no virus or we do not believe,” the gym manager told the Bay Area News Group in an anonymous interview, “but we believe that we can provide a place where people can come safely and stay healthy – and also provide the ability to pay our bills and earn a living.
A sign photographed by the Bay Area News Group makes several claims about the opening of the gym being protected by the First and Fifth Amendments.
“We are protesting that gyms and exercise are essential,” says a sign outside the gym.
The academy, which also has locations in Lincoln, Granite Bay and Roseville, has received dozens of complaints from the county since December, KTVU-TV reported, when the county returned to the purple level. (It was opened in the previous months, when the county was in the red layer).
While the academy owner told the Bay Area News Group that the academy has yet to experience an outbreak, community members and public health officials have expressed concern about the academy’s risks of challenging state health guidelines in the midst of the pandemic.
“It is really unfortunate that the business owner continues to violate the health official’s order, when many other companies of the same type are doing the right thing and protecting their customers,” Michael Balliet, director of the Department of Environmental Health at Santa Clara County. (A county representative did not immediately return a request for comment from SFGATE.)
Studies have repeatedly found that gyms are “over-the-top” locations – even with measures in place to protect participants. One case, at a Canadian academy, found that at least 60 people received COVID-19, despite the distance requirements and other security measures in place.
As of Thursday, the county has reported more than 103,000 COVID-19 cases and 1,473 deaths, a large proportion of which have occurred in the past three months.