OLYMPIA — Coffee shops, construction companies, bars, casinos, long-term care facilities, a hospital.
Throughout the COVID-19 state of emergency, some businesses across Spokane struggled to follow guidelines.
Some chose to stay open despite regulations because they feared losing business. Others failed to offer proper social distancing for employees or signs to customers about wearing masks.
As of the first week of May, the Washington state Department of Labor and Industries had issued $7.3 million worth of fines to businesses failing to follow COVID-19 guidelines or mask mandates. The state Liquor and Cannabis Board received 11,836 complaints about bars refusing to follow guidelines.
From January to March of this year alone, 25 Spokane businesses received citations from L&I, totaling nearly $174,000. The county had the second-highest number of businesses cited during this period, following King County, which cited 26 businesses. Pierce County was third, citing 19.
“Clearly, Spokane is just a small slice,” L&I spokesman Tim Church said.
The businesses in Spokane with the most fines during that time period are:
- Cole’s Coffee Shop in Spokane Valley, which received more than $126,000 in fines
- Huntwood Industries, a cabinet maker in Liberty Lake, which received $6,000 in fines
- Fairwood Retirement Services, which received $4,800 in fines
None of them returned The Spokesman-Review’s request for comment.