ARIZONA, USA — The global pandemic has been hard on small businesses around Arizona, and small, privately-owned gyms have seen an especially hard hit.
Gov. Doug Ducey issued an executive order on June 29, closing indoor gyms, movie theaters, bars, nightclubs and water parks. A month later he extended the order.
Chris Scheimann was following the governor’s orders -- until now.
“It’s been a long pause. Like six weeks,” Scheimann said, referring to the governor’s phrase to “pause” businesses like Scheimann’s Tangible Tanning and Fitness. “I’ve been closed for four months now. I mean, the bills are still there; I still have to pay rent, I still have to pay insurance.”
According to Scheimann, the governor was supposed to revisit the executive order every two weeks. When the governor’s office failed to post an extension on their website, Scheimann decided he could get back to work.
“His order states, on the closure, he’ll review it every two weeks and he’ll post it to his website,” Scheimann explained. “And this time he didn’t do it.”
Scheimann has made necessary changes to Tangible Fitness including bottles of spray sanitizer distributed throughout the building, imposed mask rules for people working out and markers on the floor to encourage social distancing.
But, apparently, that was not enough for the State of Arizona.
While Scheimann spoke with 12 News, a couple of state workers dropped off a letter.
Two employees were walking around outside and looking for the entrance. As Scheimann walked towards the front of the building, an employee approached him with a notice.
“They left this at the desk for you.” The employee said.
“Are they still here?” Scheimann asked, looking over the notice to close.
“The just walked out.”
Scheimann walked out to the parking lot, looked around but found nothing.
“I’m surprised they couldn’t even stay to talk to me,” he said.
Scheimann ran in the direction of the last sighting, hoping to catch up with them and ask questions.
As he rounded the corner of the building, he found nothing.
Then a small van drove by with a state seal on the door. Scheimann, with their notice and hand, tried waving them down. The passenger just waved back as the van turned onto Thomas Road.
“Nice,” He said, shaking his head.
“I’m meeting all the guidelines. And they don’t respond either. So, I don’t see what they expect us to do,” Scheinman complained. “And then they come here, drop it and run? I mean, we tried to chase them down, they just waved at me and kept going. It makes no sense.”
So, for now, Scheimann will do what he can to provide for his employees and customers and, like most small business owners, take this pandemic one day at a time.
