Politics & Government
Plainview Gym Ordered By Court To Close; Owner To Comply, Considering Appeal
Attorney General Keith Ellison's office announced it had won an injunction against Plainview Wellness Center.
By Ricardo Lopez
December 2, 2020
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A Wabasha County District Court on Wednesday ordered a Plainview gym that had been operating in defiance of Gov. Tim Walz’s four-week closure of fitness centers to close.
Attorney General Keith Ellison’s office announced it had won an injunction against Plainview Wellness Center, a small gym about 84 miles southwest of St. Paul.
Find out what's happening in Minneapolisfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
“In the absence of issuing a temporary injunction, Minnesotans will be threatened with real, substantial, and irreparable harm,” Wabasha District Court Judge Christopher A. Neisen wrote. “If courts across Minnesota unravel the executive order by giving it no legal effect, it may lead to further COVID-19 outbreaks. Death and infection rates will continue to climb and medical facilities may be overwhelmed.”
Owner Brandon Reiter in an interview said he planned to comply with the injunction and is considering appealing the injunction.
“We may have lost a battle, but not the war,” he said.
Reiter said he didn’t want to risk being held in contempt of court and potentially face fines or jail time.
The gym has been ordered to close through Dec. 18, when Walz’s four-week closure of indoor dining, gyms and indoor entertainment venues is set to expire. The order stipulates Reiter will have to comply with any future executive orders that affect his business.
Minnesota health officials have published data saying gyms have been a significant source of spread for COVID-19, tracing 750 cases in 49 outbreaks to gyms and fitness centers.
Reiter said he disagreed with the science. “You don’t know what to believe any more,” he said.
He said that if Walz is allowing retailers to continue operating, he should allow gyms to do the same.
Walz on Monday said the difference between retailers and gyms is that patrons at stores are wearing masks and not breathing heavily or spend as much time as they would in a gym.
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