The COVID Project
The record
- Jurisdiction
- Virginia
- Level
- State
- Authority
- Va. Code Ann. sections 32.1-42, 32.1-43, 32.1-48, 32.1-48.05 to 32.1-48.017 (in particular 32.1-48.06, 32.1-48.09, 32.1-48.014, 32.1-48.016, 32.1-48.017)
- 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
- Stay-at-homeBusiness closureQuarantine and isolationStanding dutyOther
- Addressees
- persons generally; owners or persons in control of premises within an affected area; any individual or group of individuals (section 32.1-43)
- Character
- statutory duty
- Collection
- Standing duties: Virginia DUT-VA
Operative words
Any person who does not comply with a validly issued order of quarantine or order of isolation issue [sic] or prepared pursuant to this article shall be subject to the penalties provided in section 32.1-27, including, upon conviction, a Class 1 misdemeanor and payment of civil penalties.
Penalty
Section 32.1-48.014: penalties of section 32.1-27 (Class 1 misdemeanor; civil penalties); detention or arrest by law enforcement; mandatory prosecution
What it required
Every person within an order of quarantine or isolation, including one covering an 'affected area' (defined to include 'public and private property, buildings, and other structures'), to comply, on pain of a Class 1 misdemeanor and civil penalties, with law-enforcement power 'to detain or arrest any person or persons identified as in violation' and a duty on every Commonwealth's attorney 'to prosecute, without delay.'
Retrieval noteSection 32.1-42: 'The Board of Health may promulgate regulations and orders to meet any emergency or to prevent a potential emergency caused by a disease dangerous to public health.' Section 32.1-43: 'The State Health Commissioner shall have the authority to require quarantine, isolation, immunization, decontamination, or treatment of any individual or group of individuals when he determines any such measure to be necessary to control the spread of any disease of public health importance and the authority to issue orders of isolation pursuant to Article 3.01.' Section 32.1-48.06: 'Affected area' means any part or the whole of the Commonwealth... and 'shall include, but not be limited to, cities, counties, towns, and subsections of such areas, public and private property, buildings, and other structures.' Section 32.1-48.09 requires an order of quarantine to 'establish clearly the geographic parameters of the quarantine, if involving an affected area' and to 'specify the penalty or penalties that may be imposed for noncompliance.' Section 32.1-48.016 (immunity) protects only a person who 'in good faith and in the performance of his duties, acts in compliance with this article and the Board of Health's regulations.' Section 32.1-48.017 authorizes the use of public or private property or facilities on the Governor's declaration of emergency. Section 44-146.17 (Ex. LAW-347) cross-references these orders: executive orders declaring a state of emergency 'may address exceptional circumstances that exist relating to an order of quarantine or an order of isolation concerning a communicable disease of public health threat that is issued by the State Health Commissioner for an affected area of the Commonwealth pursuant to Article 3.' Rendered from the live LIS full-chapter page on Sept. 29, 2026 (about 1.0 MB).