The owner of a Pilates-based fitness studio chain sent a letter to clients saying the D.C. locations will remain open despite the city's new COVID-19 restrictions suspending all indoor group workout classes.
Restrictions went into effect Wednesday in D.C. as coronavirus cases continue to rise. The order prohibits all indoor group exercise classes and all outdoor group classes with 25 or more people. Individuals can still go workout solo in gyms.
Anne Mahlum, the founder and CEO of Solidcore, says D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser's new restrictions are unreasonable.
"This order is not fair. We are being unfairly punished," Mahlum told News4 in a video interview.
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"We have made the decision to stay open. We continue to adhere with all Phase Two safety measures such as capacity restrictions, mask requirements, and physical distancing," Mahlum said in a letter to customers.
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Mahlum claims there has been no community spread in Solidcore's studios.
"This order from the Mayor feels discriminatory because what she is saying and what the city is saying is that you can operate over here like this, but you can’t do the exact same thing over here," Mahlum told News4.
Mahlum admitted she is going to defy Bowser’s order and said she sent a letter to the mayor explaining why.
"We’ve been operating now for five months in D.C. after reopening from the first COVID shutdown. We reopened at the end of June and we have had over 340,000 visits from our clients and we haven’t had one spread of COVID," Mahlum said.
News4 has reached out to Bowser's office for comment, but has not yet heard back.
