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Coronavirus: New Jersey gym owner offering free memberships to people forgoing COVID-19 vaccine

BELLMAWR, N.J. — A controversial New Jersey gym owner, who flouted statewide restrictions in the early days of the coronavirus pandemic, plans to reward patrons who opt not to receive a COVID-19 vaccination with free memberships.

Atilis Gym owner Ian Smith tweeted Tuesday that his Bellmawr facility is offering the promotion to counter Krispy Kreme’s recent pledge to provide one free daily doughnut to anyone receiving a vaccine.

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“We believe in health — the real way — exercise, good diet, plenty of Vitamin D, Zinc, and an environment to destress,” Smith wrote.

According to The Press of Atlantic City, Smooth spoke recently at the Conservative Political Action Conference in Orlando, Florida, and refused to wear a mask on his return flight, resulting in American Airlines banning him until face covering policies expire.

Atilis Gym reopened in late May 2020, in defiance of statewide COVID-19 restrictions, and was shut down three days later by state and county health departments, NJ Advance Media reported.

“Indoor gyms and fitness centers present particularly high-risk settings for the spread of COVID-19, in part because customers of these facilities engage in physical activities that increase the customers’ respiratory activity, which in turn can increase the amount of respiratory droplets or aerosols in a confined setting,” the closure order stated.

Although Atilis Gym “is purporting to take its own measures to address COVID-19 transmission” the state cannot “simply allow business owners to set their own divergent health measures, done without the approval of the state and its health officials,” the order continued.

At the time of the gym’s shuttering, New Jersey had confirmed more than 150,000 COVID-19 infections, resulting in nearly 11,000 deaths., according to NJ Advance Media. Current case totals have since increased six-fold to nearly 900,000 cases, while coronavirus-related deaths have more than doubled to 24,292, according to a Johns Hopkins University tally.

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