Serving Central Oregon since 1903 • $1.50
MONDAY • April 26, 2021
COVID-19 violations
SKATE MATES
Kristin Wills, left, and Lindsay Hernandez try some synchronized skating on a quarter pipe while spending
the morning rolling at the Ponderosa Park skatepark in Bend on Saturday. The pair said they started
rollerskating as an activity during COVID-19 and are on their skates daily because they are hooked.
Oregon has
yet to collect
money from
OSHA fines
Ryan Brennecke/The Bulletin
Lengthy appeals, limited enforcement of
work safety rules can put penalties in limbo
BY JAMIE GOLDBERG
The Oregonian
State workplace safety officials have issued at least 20
citations to Oregon businesses for flagrantly violating
COVID-19 safety restrictions since the start of the pan-
demic in March of last year, collectively fining those busi-
nesses more than $400,000.
But the state has yet to collect any of that money.
The 20 citations were issued to 15 businesses that will-
fully defied COVID-19 safety standards, with several busi-
nesses receiving multiple citations for repeated violations.
The businesses had appealed 16 of the 20 citations as of
April 8 and the state anticipates the other four will be ap-
pealed as well.
Of those that have appealed, only one has reached a set-
tlement with the state so far. Kozy Kitchen in North Bend,
which was issued an $8,900 fine in June for opening for
indoor dining against state health restrictions, reached an
agreement to have its violation downgraded from “willful”
to “serious” and its fine reduced to $4,000 — less than half
the original penalty. Oregon is waiting for payment.
The other appeals could take months to resolve, or lon-
ger. Aaron Corvin, a spokesperson for Oregon Occupa-
tional Safety and Health, known as Oregon OSHA, said the
appeals process can last up to two years.
See Fines / A4
J&J vaccine cleared
for use in Oregon
BY SAGE VAN WING
Oregon Public Broadcasting
Health care providers in Oregon may continue to admin-
ister the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, as long as they can en-
sure that patients or their caregivers are informed about the
benefits and risks in their primary language.
The Oregon Health Authority issued that guidance this
weekend after a safety review. The Centers for Disease Con-
trol and the Food and Drug Administration lifted the pause
on delivering the vaccine Friday, saying the risk of blood clots
is extremely small. The Western States Scientific Safety Re-
view Workgroup found that the Johnson & Johnson vaccine
is “generally safe and effective and that the resumption of its
use is warranted once culturally and linguistically appropriate
patient and provider educational materials in plain language
that support informed decision-making are available.”
There are over 100,000 doses of Johnson & Johnson
COVID-19 vaccine stored at vaccination sites in Oregon.
In Washington state, Gov. Jay Inslee said Saturday inocu-
lations with the Johnson & Johnson vaccine can resume.
The Associated Press contributed to this story.
THE FIRST 100 DAYS
Biden’s speech will be historic in more ways than one
WASHINGTON — For eight years,
Joe Biden was a fixture at President
Barack Obama’s addresses inside the
House chamber, a near-constant part of
the tableau. He winked. He pointed. He
gripped the House speaker’s arm. He
smiled, and he clapped with gusto.
For 36 years before that, he often sat in
the audience with his Senate colleagues.
He twice gave a portion of the Democratic
response to President Ronald Reagan.
As one of the nation’s longest-serv-
ing politicians, he has witnessed more
speeches to a joint session of Congress
than just about anyone.
This week, he will give one.
He will have a historic backdrop: Two
women, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi
and Vice President Kamala Harris, for
TODAY’S
WEATHER
200
The estimated number of attendees
in the House chamber for Joe Biden’s
speech before Congress on Wednesday,
far short of the 1,600 normally in
attendance for a presidential address.
the first time will be in the immediate
frame of the president — something
Biden is planning to note at the begin-
ning of his speech.
In a different historic marker, both
will be wearing masks as part of the
coronavirus protocols in the chamber.
Biden has been working on the speech
for weeks, preparing remarks to reflect
on the first 99 days of his presidency, and
outlining a range of new initiatives he
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will pursue. He is expected to press the
need for expanding access to health care
and outline additional economic relief
for American families. He also will re-
new his call for police reform, coming
in the wake of the conviction of former
Minnesota police officer Derek Chauvin
in the murder of George Floyd.
The address marks the conclusion of
the first chapter of Biden’s presidency, one
he has sought to enter with a burst of ac-
tivity meant to reshape the country’s pol-
itics and its place in the world. It will also
be another vivid collision between the rit-
uals of democracy and the pandemic that
continues to grip much of American life.
Members and senators won’t be allowed
to bring guests. Biden is expected to have
few, if any, aside from first lady Jill Biden
and second gentleman Doug Emhoff.
See Biden / A10
Kid Scoop
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Nation/World
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Weather
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Bill O’Leary/The Washington Post file
Joe Biden, then vice president, arrives in the chamber at the U.S. Capitol
where President Barack Obama was to deliver his State of the Union address
before a joint session of Congress in 2014.
The Bulletin
An Independent Newspaper
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BY MATT VISER
The Washington Post
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