The COVID Project
The record
- Jurisdiction
- Massachusetts
- Level
- State
- Authority
- Massachusetts General Laws, Part I, Title XVI, Chapter 111 (nuisances)
- Issued
- 2026-09-28 Sept. 28, 2026
- Effective
- standing (read as 2026-09-28)
- End
- standing
- In force
- Standing since Sept. 28, 2026 (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 closureStanding dutyOperating condition
- Addressees
- persons generally; owners or persons in control of premises
- Character
- sanitary code duty
- Collection
- Standing duties: Massachusetts DUT-MA
Operative words
The board of health shall examine into all nuisances, sources of filth and causes of sickness... which may, in its opinion, be injurious to the public health, shall destroy, remove or prevent the same... and shall make regulations for the public health and safety relative thereto... Whoever violates any such regulation shall forfeit not more than one thousand dollars.
Penalty
Forfeiture of not more than $1,000 per violation; abatement by the board (ss. 123-125)
What it required
A mandatory duty on the board of health to examine and to 'destroy, remove or prevent' every nuisance, source of filth and cause of sickness injurious to the public health, and to make regulations for the public health and safety relative thereto and to 'articles capable of containing or conveying infection or contagion,' binding on all persons on pain of forfeiture up to $1,000.
Retrieval noteThe nuisance track is the standing basis on which a board of health could order a premises where infection was being conveyed to be closed or disinfected without any emergency declaration.