The COVID Project
The record
- Jurisdiction
- Virginia
- Level
- State
- Authority
- Va. Code Ann. sections 32.1-13, 32.1-20, 32.1-26, 32.1-27
- Effective
- standing throughout 2020 Q2 to 2021 Q3
- End
- standing (read as 2021-09-30)
- In force
- Standing (a statutory duty; in force throughout the six quarters)
- Quarters
- 2020 Q22020 Q32020 Q42021 Q12021 Q22021 Q3
2020 Q22020 Q32020 Q42021 Q12021 Q22021 Q3
- Limitation types
- Business closureQuarantine and isolationStanding dutyOther
- Addressees
- persons generally (any person); owners or persons in control of premises; specified businesses (through the orders issued under it)
- Character
- statutory duty
- Collection
- Standing duties: Virginia DUT-VA
Operative words
Any person willfully violating or refusing, failing or neglecting to comply with any regulation or order of the Board or Commissioner or any provision of this title shall be guilty of a Class 1 misdemeanor unless a different penalty is specified.
Penalty
Class 1 misdemeanor (section 32.1-27(A)); injunction, mandamus or other remedy (B); civil penalty not to exceed $25,000 for each violation, each day a separate offense (C); civil charges by consent (D)
What it required
Every person to comply with every regulation and order of the Board of Health or the State Health Commissioner, including the emergency orders section 32.1-13 authorizes 'for the purpose of suppressing nuisances dangerous to the public health and communicable, contagious and infectious diseases,' on pain of a Class 1 misdemeanor, injunction or mandamus, and a civil penalty of up to $25,000 for each violation, each day a separate offense.
Retrieval noteSection 32.1-13: 'The Board may make separate orders and regulations to meet any emergency, not provided for by general regulations, for the purpose of suppressing nuisances dangerous to the public health and communicable, contagious and infectious diseases and other dangers to the public life and health.' Section 32.1-20: 'The Commissioner shall be vested with all the authority of the Board when it is not in session, subject to such rules and regulations as may be prescribed by the Board.' Section 32.1-26 (orders after hearing) 'shall not affect the authority of the Board to issue separate orders and regulations to meet any emergency as provided in section 32.1-13.' Every Order of Public Health Emergency recited sections 32.1-13 and 32.1-20 as its authority and section 32.1-27 as its penalty (Exs. VA-002, VA-005, VA-010, VA-012, VA-013, VA-014, VA-016). Rendered from the live LIS full-chapter page on Sept. 29, 2026; the quoted sections carry no post-2021 amendment in their history lines (section 32.1-27 history ends before the period).