A borough council in Camden County voted Tuesday to rescind the business license for the owners of a New Jersey gym who continue to defy the COVID closure orders of Gov. Phil Murphy.
Despite the council vote last night, WPVI reports the owners of Atilis Gym reopened their doors on Wednesday yet again.
'Unfortunately Bellmawr, the Borough of Bellmawr, and the people who run this town have now become our adversary where they didn't need to do,' co-owner Frank Trumbetti said.
Trumbetti, 51, and Ian Smith, 33, have repeatedly vowed to stay open despite orders from the governor to stay closed.The owners have previously been arrested and even broke into their own business after it was boarded up by authorities.
The gym opened its doors in May, starting a legal battle over whether Murphy's order for non-essential businesses to remain closed was constitutional. The owners have said they have taken steps to ensure social distancing, including taping off workout stations and operating at 20% of capacity and were also taking patrons' temperatures and requiring them to wear masks unless they were in the middle of lifting weights.
The gym owners are critical of Gov. Phil Murphy’s executive order, claiming it’s unfair to them and a violation of federal rights.
"We've all heard these public officials say 'science and data'...We are so confident in our process and in our safety protocol that if you can show us the science and data that proves Atilis Gym in Bellmawr poses more of a threat to the general public than any other place and should remain shut down, we will happily shut our doors," said Smith in a video posted to Instagram.
The two gym owners claim they are facing fines of $15,000 a day for remaining open. A court date for them is set for the end of the week.