Gold's Gym faces closure for allegedly ignoring mask mandate

Gold’s Gym in Longmont is facing temporary closure for violating Boulder County’s COVID-19 mask mandate.

Boulder County District Judge Andrew Hartman on Nov. 24 issued a temporary restraining order  and injunctive relief against Gold’s Gym at the request of Boulder County Public Health to force the business to immediately comply with the mask mandate, according to court documents. 

A hearing date before Hartman has not yet been set, said BCPH spokesman Shawn Hollister. The agency is asking Hartman to allow BCPH staff to inspect Gold’s Gym during business hours to determine if the business is complying with the restraining order. If there is no compliance, the agency is asking the judge to order the temporary closure of Gold’s Gym, according to a complaint filed by BCPH.

Kyle Silvieus, Gold’s Gym general manager and co-owner, declined to comment on the complaint.

On September 2, BCPH issued a public health order requiring face coverings in public indoor spaces during periods of substantial or high transmission of COVID-19, according to the complaint.

The public health order was implemented to control and halt the spread of COVID-19, the complaint states. It provides notice that any business that is in violation of the face covering order faces civil or criminal action, including injunctive relief, the complaint said.

On September 9, BCPH staff received a complaint to its Call Center that stated, “Gold’s … business in Longmont is not requiring anyone to wear masks and is not even enforcing anything. Employees are wearing masks, but out of 50 people, only a few are masked,” the complaint states. 

A BCPH employee and business liaison conducted a site visit at the gym on Sept. 12, during which she observed that Gold’s Gym had failed to post signs at entrances to instruct individuals of their legal obligation under the mask order. The employee “also observed that none of Gold’s Gym’s staff were wearing facial coverings and almost no patrons inside the property were wearing facial coverings,” the complaint states.

Silvieus was issued electronic and verbal warnings and during a fourth site visit of the property, Silvieus told a BCPH employee that “Gold’s Gym has no plans to comply with the Public Health Order,” the complaint states.

In total, BCPH has received 25 complaints from members of the public and/or patrons regarding Gold’s Gym’s violations of the masking order, the complaint said.