SAN MATEO COUNTY, Calif. (KRON) – A gym in San Mateo County is breaking the regional stay-at-home order by operating indoors.

Fitness 19 at the Westlake Mall in Daly City is allowing guests to work out inside its gym, even after the county issued fines and told the gym to shut down.

KRON4 spoke to the manager at Fitness 19 and they confirm the county’s visited them multiple times and issued fines but the manager says they don’t care. 

They’ll keep paying the fines and continue operating indoors anyways.

Guests lining up to enter Fitness 19 on Monday. 

The gym’s breaking a regional stay-at-home order, as people work out and use the gym’s equipment indoors.

“For them to put profits over people’s lives is absolutely egregious,” Supervisor David Canepa said.

San Mateo County Supervisor David Canepa says it’s disappointing the owner isn’t taking the health order and pandemic more seriously.

BREAKING HEALTH ORDERS: Fitness 19 in Daly City breaking Regional Stay-At-Home order & operating indoors despite surge of COVID-19 cases. County fined the gym but the manager says they’re staying open.He tells me other locations are doing the same.More on @kron4news at 9p & 10p pic.twitter.com/IaSQtIb2S8

— Taylor Bisacky (@TaylorBisackyTV) December 22, 2020

“We’re spiraling out of control with the deaths, with the cases and then for the audacity of a company to just keep their gym open while every other gym owner is abiding by the rules, small business and we know that the virus flourishes in these settings,” Canepa said.

Even before the regional stay-at-home order went into effect last week, San Mateo County was in the state’s most restrictive purple tier since the end of November. 

In the purple tier, gyms are also required to shut down indoor operations but able to stay open outdoors.

Over that time, Canepa says the county visited the fitness center multiple times and fined the gym.

“We’ve talked to him multiple times. We’ve issues fines but I think because they’re a chronic offender we may have to look at the criminal penalty,” Canepa said.

The manager – who didn’t want to speak on camera – confirms they’re racking up fines and says they’ll just keep paying them and continue to operate indoors.

Fitness 19 has 16 locations in the Bay Area.

When KRON4 asked the manager if he’s aware of other locations also operating indoors against health orders, he said yes.

San Mateo County leaders say this may be a turning point to take criminal action against repeat offenders.