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Jul 4

Life Time will close indoor fitness areas; Mountainside stays open – AZCentral

Fitness Comments Off on Life Time will close indoor fitness areas; Mountainside stays open – AZCentral

Tom Hatten, CEO and Founder of Mountainside Fitness, talks about his battle with Gov. Doug Ducey over closure of gyms at a press conference in Scottsdale on July 3, 2020.(Photo: Catherine Rafferty/The Republic)

The Life Time fitness chain will reverse course and shut down the indoor fitness portion of its Arizona locationseffectiveimmediately, butMountainside Fitness, which confirmed Friday that some employees have tested positive for COVID-19,remains open.

The two chains wereamong several fitness chainsin Arizona that announcedthey wouldn't follow Gov. Doug Ducey's Monday order to close gyms until at least July 27 in an effort to stem the spread of COVID-19. Both gyms remained open through Friday morning.

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Now, Life Time plans to shut down the fitness floors, studios and gymnasiums at their Arizona locations through Monday evening, the statement said, adding that all other services and amenities at their clubs, including the salon, spa, food services and pools, will remain open.

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The decision to close the indoor fitness areas in Life Time clubs comes one day after Arizona suspended a third liquor license associated with a Life Time Fitness location.

Life Time officials met with the Governor's Office and the director of the Arizona Department of Health Services Friday morning and "out of respect for the governor" decided to close the gyms soon after, according to the statement from Life Time officials.

The Arizona Department of Health Servicesalso announced they are partnering with Life Time to "develop examples of best practices."

Life Time Fitness complying with the Governors Executive Order is in the best interest of all Arizonans, said Dr. Cara Christ, director of the state health department, in a statement. We appreciate their willingness to protect Arizonans and provide their time and subject matter expertise.

Minneapolis-based Life Time spokeswoman Natalie Bushaw said the time will allow time for officials to meet with the governor's team to identify solutions to re-open the indoor fitness portion of their clubs as soon as possible.

"The governments should work with each industry to unveil the safest protocols to conduct business," Bushaw said, listing capacity limitations, mask requirements and temperature checks as possible safety measures. "Businesses who do not comply with these agreed-upon, robust safety and cleaning protocols should be shut down immediately and assertively."

Bushaw again defended the health and safety of Life Time fitness clubs Friday, saying health clubs and gyms are able to operate more safely than other businesses.

"Life Times safety protocols are beyond that of any other business," a statement from Life Time CEO and Founder Bahram Akradito Life Timemembers read Friday."Once the health department has the opportunity to review what youve been experiencing every day, we believe they will come to the same conclusion."

Akradi also called on Life Time members to contact Ducey via Twitter, email or phone and ask him "to keep your clubs fully open to you and your devoted team members."

Mountainside Fitness, meanwhile, is not changing course.

Mountainside Fitness CEO Tom Hatten said Friday their gyms will stay open through at least Monday morning, when an emergency hearing on Hatten's legal complaint against Ducey's executive order is scheduled in Maricopa County Superior Court.

Hatten said Mountainside Fitness locations will close Monday if the court does not rule in his favor.

Hatten confirmed some employees have tested positive for the virusbut did not provide details about how many or at which locations. Members at the facilities with COVID-19 positive employees have not been notified, he said.

"This wasn't about the coronavirus anymore," Hatten said. "It became about everybody.It became about our government, our leadership. It became about thebusinesses community. It became about who's next."

Hatten maintained his position that the fitness industry was singled out in Ducey's order, saying he felt his business is being "vilified" while others are not receivingthe same type of attention.

"I wanted accountability from our leaders," Hatten said. "And if that meant I'm going to be fined or could end up in jail, there's been plenty of great Americans who have been in this position beforeI'm OK with that."

The Arizona Department of Health Services said it will move forward with efforts to enforce the governor's order against Mountainside Fitness "to protect the public health and welfare against the serious threat posed by COVID-19."

Contact Grace Oldham atgrace.oldham@arizonarepublic.comor on Twitter at@grace_c_oldham.

Read or Share this story: https://www.azcentral.com/story/money/business/consumers/2020/07/03/life-time-fitness-close-mountainside-fitness-governor-doug-ducey-order-gyms-coronavirus/5373180002/

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Life Time will close indoor fitness areas; Mountainside stays open - AZCentral

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