Virginia Administrative Code › Title 12 - HEALTH › Agency 5 - DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH › Chapter 90 - REGULATIONS FOR DISEASE REPORTING AND CONTROL › Part II - General Information › Section 12VAC5-90-40 - Administration

Current through Register Vol. 40, No. 24, July 15, 2024
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.
Statutory Authority
§§ 32.1-12 and 32.1-35 of the Code of Virginia.