Hello there, my name is Katharine Wilson. I'm just a 38 year old woman, I have a fiance and 2 daughters. My life is simple and I've never done anything like this before and maybe it will go nowhere and be seen by noone but I feel I have an obligation to anyone that relies on Courthouse Athletic Club in Salem Oregon or any gym and to those that care about their health and wellness.

In a time of COVID19, everyone has been effected in one way or another. It's been and up and down cycle and full of unknowns and scares. I can imagine it's difficult to decide what stays open and what closes. My fiances mom died in March due to covid, so we want as many people safe and to take precautions.  However it's baffling to us that a gym is required to close and then when they don't, they are fined an absorbanent amount of money because they choose to stay open. Your taking away a place of stress relief, personal health and well being, physical activity, weight reducer, better cardiac and respiratory health, a way to stay motivated, which all help reduce many of the under lying conditions that people die from once diagnosed with covid. Many health workers and first responders need gyms to stay focused and at peak focus and physical levels. We notice that the tanning salon, the nail salon, bars only being restricted, the liquor stores and fast food are all open...just a few examples. People do not need to tan (my fiance and I do but it's not necessary), nails and hair are not needed (not to mention it's extremely close contact), maybe people should be restricted from fast food for awhile, honestly, to reduce obesity.

My job has been moved to a work from home environment and I've watched majority of my co-workers gain weight and health decline due to being stagnant and eating fast food. From my experience as a health enthusiast, most health and fitness focused individuals are well versed and already implement many of the practices you are asking everyone to follow. They already were cleaning their stations, they tend to workout alone or at least physically distanced and the people are usually some of the most aware and caring when it comes to having others health at the for front. 

They say peoples health and well being is the number one priority but the actions of closing a gym contradicts that in every way! Limit the amount of people, require strict cleaning rules, make sure the customers are actually working out and not just using it as a social place or to sit around, there are better ways to handle it than removing it all together.

Like I said in the beginning, I'm just a woman that cares about her family and others. I never want anyone else to have to deal with a mother or sister or dad or child dying from covid but I also have to protect what I know, based on scientific research and my own personal experience... A gym should not be feared, it should be a part of every ones lives. I would hate to live in a world that loses all gyms and watch more people die due to under lying conditions like obesity, suicide and depression (which has hit the pacific northwest harder than ever the last 6 months) or heart attack, that maybe going to the gym could've possibly saved!! So if keeping people healthy truly is our #1priority, then let's prioritize health!