A federal judge ruled Friday that gyms statewide can reopen Thursday, despite Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s executive order that has shuttered them for months in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“But when asked what data, science, or even rationale supports the continued closure of indoor gyms, Defendants presented nothing beyond ‘trust us, they’re still dangerous.
The judge noted that almost all previously closed businesses could now open, including nightclubs and hair salons, but not indoor gyms and fitness facilities.
Gyms and fitness facilities in parts of northern Michigan were allowed to open on June 10 in two regions that had fewer COVID-19 cases and deaths than heavier-populated cities.
Whitmer has said she hopes to move the state into phase 5 and allow gyms to open by July 4 if COVID-19 deaths and cases continue to trend downward.
