FLORENCE – The state of Oregon fined a restaurant in Florence about $ 18,000 for intentionally exposing workers to COVID-19 after an investigation in which officials say compliance officials were threatened.
The Oregon Occupational Safety and Health Administration on Tuesday announced the fine for The New Blue Hen, the Register-Guard reported.
New Blue Hen, which does business like Little Brown Hen Café, has allowed indoor dining since at least December 26, a state investigation has revealed.
“The company did this despite knowing that it was violating a public health order that limited the capacity for indoor dining to zero in a ‘extreme risk’ county,” said the state press release.
The restaurant did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Complaints about the restaurant led to an inspection during which “several people – including one with a firearm – blocked the company’s entrance and threatened compliance officials” on January 4, according to the state.
The state appointed two compliance officers and both identified themselves during the inspection and asked to speak to the owner, the state said, when they were threatened.
People at the entrance followed them to their cars, shouting at them as they left, officials said.
The inspectors were able to give a visual confirmation of the dinner inside.
Michael Wood, Oregon OSHA administrator, imposed the $ 17,800 fine, which is double the minimum penalty for an intentional violation to reflect “the need to ensure a more appropriate deterrent effect where employers insist on disregarding public health measures. “.
The restaurant has 30 days to appeal.
–The Associated Press