Imperial City Council considers opening businesses back up

GYM OWNER ARGUES HIS GYM WILL BE SAFER THAN COSTCO

EL CENTRO, Calif. (KYMA, KECY) - It has been five months since many businesses closed their doors. Some have not returned while others are waiting for a solution with an indefinite arrival.

Terry “Deuce” Robertson, co-owner of 4:13 Fitness Center held a presentation at the Imperial City Council meeting where he discussed how and why gyms should re-open.

He discussed how his gyms would have appropriate spacing between exercise equipment, they would be constantly cleaning and sanitizing shared equipment, taking temperatures upon arrival, and having a limited amount of people inside.

“The word that I’ve been using is state welfare I feel like our businesses are being sold out for welfare for the county by the state and when something as simple as a 14-day shutdown turns into five months where all these businesses are shut down for five months we have a problem,” said Robertson.

Robertson also pointed out how it is unfair some businesses get to open while others cannot.

"We will have more mitgation in place than Costco," he said.

Local Gym owner Dalia Rodriguez said gym owners in the valley all feel the same way. 

“We have to be considered as individuals and not just a conglomerate of businesses we can handle re-opening safely,” she said.  

Following his presentation, the council discussed the financial ramifications of opening businesses up. Which could be fined up to 600 thousand dollars and individual fines for the businesses. 

In California, 40 counties including Imperial County remain on Governor Newsom’s watchlist

The council said they would consider the consequences of re-opening. 

Which could be fined up to 600 thousand dollars and individual fines for the businesses. 

However, some gyms in other counties have opted to move their equipment outside. 

The problem with the Imperial Valley is that right, we run 110 to 120 degrees daily so that’s impossible for us, that’s something we would definitely consider in the wintertime. 

The county needs to have less than 100 cases per 100,000 residents in the last 14 days in order to get off of the watch list.

Imperial County currently fails that test. Over the last two weeks, officials have confirmed 678 new cases, which amounts to 376 per 100,000.

“People need to understand that unless we open up soon we will technically have to close down the business,” said Rodriguez.