The COVID Project
The record
- Jurisdiction
- Virginia
- Level
- State
- Authority
- Office of the Governor / Va. Dep't of Health, FAQ on Executive Order 63 and Order of Public Health Emergency 5 (May 29, 2020)
- Issued
- 2020-05-29 May 29, 2020
- Effective
- 2020-05-29 (with EO 63) (read as 2020-05-29)
- End
- EO 63's face-covering requirement was carried into EO 72 (Dec. 14, 2020) and ended with EO 79 (May 28, 2021) (read as 2020-12-14)
- In force
- May 29, 2020 to Dec. 14, 2020
- Quarters
- 2020 Q22020 Q32020 Q4
2020 Q22020 Q32020 Q42021 Q12021 Q22021 Q3
- Limitation types
- Face-covering requirementWorkplace rulesOperating condition
- Addressees
- persons generally (patrons aged ten and over); owners or persons in control of premises (businesses admitting patrons); employees in customer-facing areas under EO 61 as amended
- Character
- guidance incorporated
- Collection
- Standing duties: Virginia DUT-VA
Operative words
Can a business turn me away if I don't have a face covering? Yes. Businesses may not allow you to enter an establishment where a face covering is required in order to keep other customers and employees safe.... In the case of egregious violations VDH can enforce through a court-issued injunction (civil) or summons and warrant, which are punishable as a Class One misdemeanor.
Penalty
VDH enforcement: injunction under section 32.1-27, or summons and warrant for a Class 1 misdemeanor; no criminal penalty for minors
What it required
The Commonwealth's own statement to businesses and the public that the face-covering order bound patrons 'aged ten and over' in retail, restaurants, personal care, entertainment, public transportation and 'All employment settings where physical distancing cannot be maintained for more than 10 minutes,' that businesses could exclude non-compliant patrons 'to keep other customers and employees safe,' and that VDH enforced by injunction or by summons and warrant 'punishable as a Class One misdemeanor' under Title 32.1 rather than the criminal code.
Retrieval noteRetrieved as the Wayback Machine's raw capture of May 30, 2020. The FAQ distinguishes the mandatory ('required') and recommended ('strongly recommended', for children over two and for outdoor settings) registers exactly; it records that 'Current guidelines require that you consume food and beverages outside' in Phase One and that in personal-care establishments 'patrons who have a medical condition that prevents them from wearing a face covering are not permitted to give or receive services.'.