Sacramento fitness centers will stay closed due to coronavirus, county health chief says

Update: On Thursday, Dr. Peter Beilenson he had changed his mind after receiving “feedback from the state Department of Public Health that no gyms or small fitness studios of any kind may re-open at this point, and we will respect and follow that guidance.”

Original post:

One day after suing Gov. Gavin Newsom and Sacramento County over their coronavirus stay-at-home orders, lawyers for a Rio Linda fitness system says it has been given permission to reopen on Monday, and the owner of a Land Park gym who also sued says he, too, has been told he can reopen soon.

“We fought hard for this,” said Sean Covell, owner of three Fitness Center gyms in Land Park, West Sacramento and Lodi. “It’s not done by a long shot.”

Covell said he was told by his attorney late Tuesday that Sacramento County is allowing him to reopen the Land Park site with some safety enhancements because of coronavirus fears. He added he is not certain of his reopening date yet, and that his lawsuit in federal court to reopen the other two centers closed as a precaution against COVID-19 will continue.

So far, his suit says, the shutdown has cost him $850,000.

Sacramento County officials said Wednesday that Dr. Peter Beilenson, the county’s Director of Health Services, has decided that small fitness operations can reopen if they meet certain requirements, including having 250 square feet between people and a no more than eight clients at a time.

“Clients must pre-register for their sessions and can’t share equipment,” the county said in an email. “Studios must follow requirements for disinfecting. Clients can’t gather in communal spaces such as locker rooms.”

Gyms must email Beilenson that they agree to the requirements and can only reopen once he approves, the county said.

“Those studios will have unannounced visits for enforcement,” the county added.

Lawyers for another gym owner said separately that they also were told Tuesday their client could reopen.

Stephen Tresner, owner of Rio Linda Fitness on Oak Lane, sued in federal court Monday alleging that he was forced to shut down operations – losing $100,000 – despite the fact that he was willing and able to adhere to social distancing requirements by limiting his occupancy to 75 people, giving each 466 square feet of space.

His lawsuit also says he was willing to space out gym equipment 6 feet apart and sanitize it before and after every use but, like other fitness centers in the state, was forced to remain closed.

Now, Tresner’s lawyers, Kenneth Rosenfeld and N. Allen Sawyer, say they also won permission to reopen and that Tresner plans to do so Monday.

“The public health officer is working with us to get the guidelines together,” Rosenfeld said. “The bottom line is that this is the right result for a good man.

“He could have flouted the law and said we’re going to reopen, but he didn’t.”

Rosenfeld said the suit will be dismissed.

This story was originally published May 19, 2020 at 6:05 PM.