Washington gym defied state order and reopened early. Then came a nearly $10,000 fine

Brooke Wolford
·2 min read

Even though the Washington Department of Labor and Industries had “multiple contacts” with a gym in Yakima County, the owners stayed open in defiance of Gov. Jay Inslee’s “Safe Start” order, KREM 2 reported.

Now, L&I is fining Anytime Fitness in Selah $9,639, according to KIRO.

The gym, which is owned by Bradshaw Development Inc., reopened on June 15 before the county was approved to move into Phase 3, when recreational facilities, including gyms, are allowed to reopen, according to KIRO and the Washington state governor’s website. Yakima County is still in Phase 1, the Washington State Coronavirus Response website says.

Yakima County has 7,128 confirmed cases of COVID-19, which is 21.5% of the state’s 33,435 cases, according to the Washington State Department of Health. Washington has 1,339 deaths related to COVID-19, and Yakima County has recorded 159, the department’s website says.

State officials received several complaints about the gym, KREM reported. The gym was operating with several employees, allowing several people to use its facilities without enforcing social distancing, selling memberships and advertising on social media that they were open, according to KOMO.

The Yakima Health District also notified state officials after one of the district’s staff members drove by the facility, which was packed with people, according to KOMO. State officials contacted the business multiple times before launching an investigation, KOMO reported.

“Our primary focus is making sure employers do everything possible to prevent their workers from being exposed to the coronavirus,” L&I Director Joel Sacks said in a release, according to KREM. “In this case, Anytime Fitness Selah was clearly aware it was operating in defiance of the governor’s order and putting employees at risk. They chose to stay open even after multiple contacts with L&I.”

Sacks also said it was unfair for Anytime Fitness to be open when other businesses are following the rules, according to KIRO. This is the first employer L&I cited for violating the governor’s order, KIRO reported.

L&I gave the company until July 5 to close or it can appeal the citation within 15 business days, according to KOMO.

McClatchy reached out to Anytime Fitness Selah for a comment but did not receive an immediate response.