Virginia Law

A. The State Board of Health ("board") has the responsibility for promulgating regulations pertaining to the reporting and control of diseases of public health importance and to meet any emergency or to prevent a potential emergency caused by a disease dangerous to the public health including but not limited to specific procedures for responding to any disease listed pursuant to § 32.1-35 of the Code of Virginia that is determined to be caused by an agent or substance used as a weapon or any communicable disease of public health threat that is involved in an order of quarantine or an order of isolation pursuant to Article 3.02 (§ 32.1-48.05 et seq.) of the Code of Virginia.

B. The State Health Commissioner ("commissioner") is the executive officer for the State Board of Health with the authority of the board when it is not in session, subject to the rules and regulations of and review by the board. The commissioner has 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 has the authority to issue orders of isolation pursuant to Article 3.01 (§ 32.1-48.01 et seq.) of the Code of Virginia and orders of quarantine and orders of isolation under exceptional circumstances involving any communicable disease of public health threat pursuant to Article 3.02 (§ 32.1-48.05 et seq.) of the Code of Virginia.

C. The local health director is responsible for the surveillance and investigation of those diseases specified by this chapter which occur in his jurisdiction. He is further responsible for reporting all such surveillance and investigations to the Office of Epidemiology. In cooperation with the commissioner, he is responsible for instituting measures for disease control, which may include implementing the quarantine and isolation orders of the commissioner.

D. The Office of Epidemiology, an organizational part of the department, is responsible for the statewide surveillance of those diseases specified by this chapter, for defining and disseminating appropriate disease control protocols for an outbreak situation, for coordinating the investigation of those diseases with the local health director, and for providing direct assistance where necessary. The Director of the Office of Epidemiology acts as the commissioner's designee in reviewing reports and investigations of diseases and recommendations by local health directors for quarantine or isolation. However, authority to order quarantine or isolation resides solely with the commissioner.

E. All persons responsible for the administration of this chapter shall ensure that the anonymity of patients and practitioners is preserved, according to state and federal law including the provisions of §§ 32.1-38, 32.1-41, and 32.1-71 of the Code of Virginia.