‘I’m big on the Constitution:’ California owner defies orders, opens gym, calling it essential

Even though California Gov. Gavin Newsom said it could be weeks, possibly even months, before he allows gyms across the Golden State to reopen, some fitness owners are defying orders, saying pumping iron and running on the treadmill are essential to someone’s physical and mental health.

The latest gym owner to defy Newsom’s stay-at-home order is Jacob Lewis of Victorville, San Bernardino County. He re-opened The Gym HD during the first weekend in May.

“I’m big on the Constitution,” he said. “So if you want to wear a mask, wear a mask. If you don’t, don’t. If you want to come in, great, use it. If you don’t want to come in, stay at home.”
Lewis said he’s getting support from other gym owners.

But Victorville spokeswoman Sue Jones told the Daily Press that city officials were “appalled by Lewis’ “egregious violation” of the county’s public health order.

City code enforcement officials issued a notice of the order’s violation to the gym. Lewis had three days to comply with it, according to Jones. If the gym remains open, the notice would “escalate the situation to a citation and further,” she said.

According to Jones, more than 725 nonessential businesses in the city are in compliance.
Lewis isn’t the only gym order to feel frustrated and defy orders.

Sean Covell, who owns three “Fitness System” near Sacramento, opened his gyms during the last week of April — and he hired a lawyer who called the shutdown order “government overreach.”