By Shelby Stewart
Staff Writer
Brian Dunaway was ready to open on Thursday morning.
“We were closed for the good part of three months,” said Dunaway of Anytime Fitness, 250 N. Ortonville Road, Ortonville.
Gyms across the state like Anytime Fitness were set finally set to open following months-long closures due to the state shutdown for the coronavirus pandemic.
That changed on Wednesday.
“Today (June 24) three Republican-appointed judges got it right: in the fight against a global pandemic, courts must give governors broad latitude to make quick, difficult decisions,” said Press Secretary Tiffany Brown of Gov. Gretchen Whiter’s office. “The governor will continue to take the actions necessary to save lives.”
The statement came after the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit, including one judge nominated by Donald Trump and two judges nominated by George W. Bush, granted her request for a stay of a lower court ruling declaring her order closing gyms in southern Michigan because of COVID-19 should be lifted Thursday, June 25.

“We bought hand sanitizer from a local distillery, and we’ve got a sanitizer station set up at the front of the gym,” said Dunaway. “We have masks, but they’re not mandatory, we have gloves we provide, we have a touchless thermometer, and we’ve upped our cleaning staff.”
Dunaway said they’re striving to make the environment comfortable and safe for patrons.
“We welcome everybody back to the gym, but when they come in, I want them to feel like they’re safe,” said Dunaway. “I understand why they would be scared, it’s a scary thing to happen, and it’ll take time to heal.”
Dunaway also said he hopes patrons understand the importance of good health, especially now during the pandemic.
“The healthier you are, the better you are to defend against diseases,” he said.
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