Gym fined $126,000 after refusing to close for COVID pandemic, Oregon officials say

Gym owner John Miller says he can’t afford to close his Salem, Oregon, health club again despite the COVID-19 pandemic.

“As a result of the harm done to our business from the first shutdown, we will not survive another closure,” Miller said in November, The Statesman Journal reported.

“This is a horrible position I find myself in, and it leaves me with only one choice,” Miller said, saying Courthouse Club Fitness will remain open.

On Tuesday, state officials issued a fifth citation against the gym’s owner with a $126,749 fine, Oregon OSHA reported in a statement. That follows a $90,000 fine in November.

The $126,749 fine is the largest issued in the state in regards to COVID-19 violations, the release says.

“We understand that this employer is attempting to do a number of things to keep employees safe without shutting down, but that does not allow them to substitute their judgment for that of the public health authorities,” said Oregon OSHA Administrator Michael Wood in the release.

The latest citation was issued to gym owner Capitol Racquet Sports Inc. after an inspection revealed the Salem gym had remained open in defiance of state orders intended to curb the spread of COVID-19, the release says.

More than 91 million cases of COVID-19 have been confirmed worldwide with more than 1.9 million deaths as of Jan. 12, according to Johns Hopkins University. The United States has more than 22 million confirmed cases with more than 379,000 deaths.

This story was originally published January 12, 2021 at 1:24 PM with the headline "Gym fined $126,000 after refusing to close for COVID pandemic, Oregon officials say."