Marin Co. businesses threatened with arson over 'strict' COVID rules

SAN RAFAEL, Calif. - Two Marin County businesses have reported being threatened with arson if they do not loosen up on their COVID-19 policies, the Marin Independent Journal reported.

Staff at the Papermill Creek Saloon in Forest Knolls reported that a man in a black ski mask entered the bar on Friday, dropped a note and ran away. The note said: "If the vaccine passport is not removed by this time next week this place will burn." 

Another note was left at Body Kinetics in San Rafael. Michael Jenkins, the owner of the health club, told the IJ that said surveillance footage showed someone attaching a note to a door on Saturday night. 

The note said: "If the vaccine mandate isn’t lifted within one week this place burns."

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Jenkins told the newspaper that the members-only gym does not have a vaccination mandate. Immunized members can work out with no mask after their vaccination cards and identifications are checked at the door. Those who are not vaccinated need to wear a mask.

"I think there’s some people who might be upset that they have to wear a mask and work out," he told the IJ. "For me personally, it was very disturbing that someone would threaten us like that."

It's unclear at this point of the author of the notes is the same person.