Cork Cellars Wine and Bistro, a restaurant in Sisters, has been fined $17,800 for violating COVID-19 rules designed to protect the public during a health emergency.

The bistro, owned by Obstructed View Inc., “willfully chose to allow indoor dining despite a public health order limiting capacity to zero in Deschutes County,” according to a statement from Oregon Occupational Safety and Health, also known as OSHA.

The bistro has appealed the citation. The appeal document states that “a $17,880 penalty is not proportionate to the harm. The investigator did not test for or find COVID on site and no employee tested positive for COVID.”

The appeal adds: “There is no scientific basis for the standards created by the Governor in her Risk Classification Matrix; therefore, inside dining closure is arbitrary and capricious.”

Kevin Mannix of the Kevin Mannix Law Firm in Salem is the contact person for the appeal. Obstructed View Inc. did not respond to questions about the case from The Bulletin.

Cork Cellars is one of several businesses in Deschutes County hit with fines from Oregon OSHA after breaking COVID-19 rules.

Kevista Coffee in Bend was fined $8,900 for failing to enforce mask wearing in July 2020, and another $27,470 in March for allowing indoor dining during extreme risk designation. Sno Cap Drive In (Redmond) was slapped with an $8,900 fine in March for allowing on-premises consumption of food and drink. The Black Bear Diner locations in Bend and Redmond were hit with a $35,000 fine, also for allowing indoor dining.

Also in April, Lowe’s in Redmond was fined $18,100 for violating rules around mask wearing.

The citations were appealed in all cases.