Mexico Fitness Center Owner Questions Audrain County Health Department’s Authority To Tell Him To Shut Down During Governor’s Stay At Home Order
A Cease and Desist demand letter has been served by a Mexico Fitness Center owner and his attorney to the Audrain County Health Department after being told he had to shut down during Governor Parson’s Stay-At-Home Order.
Gib Graham who owns Mexico Strength and Fitness says he was told by the Administrator of the Audrain County Health Department Dr. Sandra Hewlett to shut down on April 10th.
Graham says he did shutdown from April 10th until April 27th and then looked into appealing the order.
After reaching out to the Audrain County Health Department for a comment yesterday a letter was sent to KWWR/KXEO news from Department’s Attorney Ann Hagan saying a gym is considered a non essential business under the Stay-At-Home Order issued by the governor through the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services and by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
To the Health Department’s knowledge, every gym in the county voluntarily closed, except Mexico Strength and Fitness.
Due to ongoing discussions, Dr. Hewlett checked with the Director of the Missouri Department of Health Senior Services, Dr. Randall W. Williams office, and his Counsel, and they also confirmed that a gym was not an essential business.
2 days before the new guidelines came out the business reopened.
The business posted that it was going to meet the guidelines.
Listed below is a link to view copies of letters from both lawyers.
