NEWS
Local Cops Say They Received Just One Complaint about COVID Guidelines Adherence Over Thanksgiving Weekend WWW.BENDSOURCE.COM / DECEMBER 3, 2020 / BEND’S INDEPENDENT VOICE
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City of Bend officials continue to favor voluntary compliance, but also deploy plainclothes Code Enforcement officers to businesses By Ashley Moreno
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arly concern about neighbors reporting on neighbors for violating COVID-19 restrictions over Thanksgiving and into the holiday season may fizzle out, following a quiet weekend. According to Lt. Juli-Ann McConkey, public information officer for the City of Bend Police Department, police received just one complaint about COVID-related compliance over the Thanksgiving weekend, and they did not issue a citation. Likewise, the Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office had received no complaints about Thanksgiving gatherings as of Nov. 27. Ahead of the national holiday, state health officials had advised that no more than six people or two households gather together, to help reduce the spread of coronavirus. Central Oregonians have thus far not engaged in copious reporting on homes or businesses violating mask and social distancing orders. From March 20 through Nov. 30, Bend PD reported receiving 209 complaints, with none resulting in a citation or fine. (Police did help city Code Enforcement officers issue one citation that resulted in a $100 fine.) Generally, the Police Department enforces masking guidelines regarding individuals and responds to calls to the non-emergency line with concerns that customers are not wearing masks
at businesses. Other business-related complaints are handled by City of Bend Code Enforcement. “When we receive a call for service regarding someone not wearing a mask in a business, we respond to the call, try and locate the individual, educate the individual, and offer a mask to them,” said McConkey in an email interview. “If the individual refuses to wear the mask, then they will be asked to leave the business.” Following a special meeting back in July, the Bend City Council established a potential $100 fine for the first violation, a $250 fine for the second and a $500 fine for any subsequent violation of the Oregon Health Authority’s statewide Mask, Face Shield and Face Covering Guidance. The City Council recently updated its masking requirements at a Nov. 18 meeting, expanding enforcement efforts and establishing a new fine of up to $750 on businesses and organizations. Potential fines and general enforcement for individuals will remain the same. Enforcing the new changes will fall on Code Enforcement, which handles most enforcement regarding maskless customers or employees at businesses. So far, enforcement has been complaint-driven. During the Nov. 18 City
Ashley Moreno
Council meeting, James Goff, Code Enforcement manager, explained how it will change. “Complaints are filed by call-in to our COVID hotline with notice of violation letters provided to businesses in question, along with links to all of our current COVID guidelines,” Goff said. “Stay Open Bend!” sign on the corner of NW Franklin Avenue and “We obviously are doing NW Wall Street in downtown Bend that because the thing that we’re trying to establish is volun- from the City Council, Goff says they tary compliance. Businesses receiving will continue to focus on voluntary commore than one complaint are inspected pliance. This mirrors the Police Departat least three times to determine wheth- ment’s direction as well. “Bend Police would like to remind er or not a violation exists. If a violation is observed, a citation is then issued to our community members to wear their that particular business.” masks,” said Lt. McConkey, “and we will Code Enforcement will now move continue to gain compliance through past complaint-based enforcement, con- education.” ducting “random plainclothes inspecTo cover the increased costs for Code tions of businesses or business types Enforcement, City Council discussed that have been recognized to be prob- using $15,000 of the remaining $50,000 lematic,” Goff said. “Based on those in CARES Act funds that it must use by observations, notice of violation letters the end of the calendar year. It’s lookwould continue to be issued to first-time ing to allocate another $10,000 of that offenders with citations being issued if to COVID-19 communication efforts, they’re going into a business that has and $15,000 in economic hardship aid to previously been warned.” Unless Code members of the community most affectEnforcement receives updated guidance ed by the recent two-week freeze.
Limited Outdoor Dining Allowed Under Updated COVID-19 Framework 25 Oregon counties—including Deschutes, Crook and Jefferson—face extended closures under Gov. Brown’s latest update By Nicole Vulcan
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entral Oregon’s Deschutes, Jefferson and Crook counties are in the “extreme” risk category in Oregon Gov. Kate Brown’s new health and safety framework—meaning that for Central Oregon and much of the state, the lockdown that began as a Two-Week Freeze could very well stay in place longer than expected. State health officials took a look at case numbers Nov. 30 to determine risk categories following the freeze, scheduled to end Dec. 2. The Governor and state health officials imposed the freeze Nov. 18, which shut down in-person dining and shuttered gyms, among other restrictions, in an effort to slow the spread of COVID-19 in Oregon. Positive COVID-19 cases in the state spiked throughout the month of November. Under the new framework, counties can fall into one of four risk categories: lower, moderate, high and extreme risk. Twenty-five of Oregon’s 36 counties fell
into the extreme category as of Dec. 1— meaning they won’t be reopening on the Dec. 2 target date set at the outset of the Two-Week Freeze, Brown said. “Counties that are facing extreme risk of virus spread will need to continue with strict health and safety measures, similar to the Two-Week Freeze,” said Governor Brown in a Dec. 1 statement. Counties remaining in the “extreme risk” category will be subject to ongoing restrictions, which are eased slightly from the restrictions under the initial freeze, but still keep many businesses closed: -Social and at-home gatherings with people outside one’s household will be limited to a maximum of six people, with a recommended limit of two households. -Restaurants, bars, and other eating and drinking establishments will be limited to a maximum of 50 people
for outdoor dining only, with only six people per table. Takeout is strongly encouraged. -Indoor recreation, fitness and entertainment establishments, including gyms, will remain closed; however, outdoor recreation, fitness, and entertainment activities, including outdoor gym activities, will be allowed, with a maximum limit of 50 people outdoors. -Retail stores, grocery stores, pharmacies, and indoor and outdoor shopping centers and malls will be limited to a maximum of 50% of capacity, with curbside pick-up encouraged. -Faith institutions, funeral homes, mortuaries and cemeteries will be limited to a maximum of 25% of capacity or 100 people indoors (whichever is smaller), or 150 people outdoors. -Office workplaces will be required to utilize remote work to the maximum extent possible, with public-facing offices closed to the public.
-Personal services businesses will be allowed to continue to operate with health and safety measures in place. -Long-term care facilities can allow limited outdoor visitation, following established health and safety protocols. Patrick Allen, Director of the Oregon Health Authority, said Nov. 25 that Oregon is expecting to begin vaccinating people against COVID-19 as early as the end of December, starting with health care workers who work closely with people with the virus. The first round of doses is expected to vaccinate 30,000 people—though with some 300,000 health care workers in the state and a federal plan for distribution still in the works, it’s not yet clear how quickly the general public may see vaccines available, Allen said. -A version of this story was published Nov. 25 at bendsource.com and has since been updated to reflect new numbers. Ashley Moreno contributed to this report.
