STATE OF WEST VIRGINIA

EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENT

At Charleston

EXECUTIVE ORDER NO. 14-20

By the Governor

 

WHEREAS, a State of Emergency was declared on the Sixteenth Day of March, Two Thousand Twenty for all counties in West Virginia (the “State of Emergency Declaration”), to allow agencies to coordinate and create necessary measures to prepare for and respond to the outbreak of respiratory disease caused by a novel coronavirus now known as COVID-19; and

WHEREAS, Chapter 15, Article 5, Section 6 of the Code of West Virginia authorizes the Governor to, among other things, control ingress and egress to and from a disaster area or an area where large-scale threat exists, the movement of persons within the area, and the occupancy of premises therein; and

WHEREAS, Executive Order 9-20 ordered all individuals within the state to stay at home or their place of residence unless performing an essential activity, ordered closed all non-essential businesses and operations, and defined essential businesses and operations that could remain open with proper social distancing and other measures to counter the spread of COVID-19 within the state; and

WHEREAS, further measures are necessary to protect the health, safety, and welfare of the public, to disrupt the spread of the virus, and to mitigate the impact of COVID-19, including mandating individuals traveling from areas with substantial community spread of COVID-19 self- isolate for a period of 14 days upon entry into the state or for the duration of their visit, whichever is shorter, and closing state park campgrounds, where we have received reports ofindividuals from out-of-state lodging and congregating; and

WHEREAS, these measures relating to self-isolation and the closure of state park campgrounds are necessary because individuals travelling from areas with substantial community spread of COVID-19 increase the likelihood of COVID-19 spreading within the state; and

WHEREAS, in order to promote and secure the safety and protection of the civilian population it may be necessary for law-enforcement officers throughout the state to monitor the state roads and highways for travel from areas with substantial community spread of COVID-19, provided that such monitoring be conducted in accordance with all applicable laws; and

WHEREAS, nothing in this Order is meant to impede commerce or any response activities and therefore shall not apply to any commercial activity, including without limitation commercial trucking activities and individuals who commute into or out of the state for work, persons performing any emergency, health, military, or infrastructure response activities necessitating travel into the state, or persons otherwise engaged in and traveling for Essential Businesses and Operations under the terms of Executive Order 9-20.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, JIM JUSTICE, pursuant to the authority vested in me pursuant to the provisions of Chapter 15, Article 5, Section 6 and Chapter 15, Article 5, Section 1 of the Code of West Virginia, hereby DECLARE and ORDER, effective as of 12:00 AM, Eastern Standard Time, on the Thirty-first day of March, Two Thousand Twenty, as follows:

  1. That all state park campgrounds shall be closed.
  1. That all individuals who are travelling from areas with substantial community spread of COVID-19, including without limitation Louisiana, New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Italy, and China, are required to isolate for a period of 14 days upon entry to West Virginia or for the duration of their visit, whichever is shorter; provided that such individuals who are required to self-isolate may travel to seek such essentials as food and medical attention; and provided further that this measure does not apply to any commercial activity, including without limitation commercial trucking activities and individuals who commute into or out of the state for work, persons performing any emergency, health, military, or infrastructure response activities necessitating travel into the state, or persons otherwise engaged in and traveling for Essential Businesses and Operations under the terms of Executive Order 9-20. This Order shall apply retroactively to all persons who have entered into West Virginia after being in any area with substantial community spread within the previous 14 days. All persons isolating or quarantining under this provision shall be responsible for all costs associated  with their isolation or quarantine, including transportation, lodging, food, medical care, and any other expenses they may incur to sustain the person during the period of isolation or quarantine.
  2. To the extent permitted by law, the West Virginia State Police may monitor the state roads and highways for travel from areas with substantial community spread of COVID-19; provided that such monitoring be conducted in accordance with all applicable laws; and provided further that any such monitoring shall not apply to any commercial activity, including without limitation commercial trucking activities and individuals who commute into or out of the state for work, persons performing any emergency, health, military, or infrastructure response activities necessitating travel into the state, or persons otherwise engaged in and traveling for Essential Businesses and Operations under the terms of Executive Order 9-20.
  3. To the extent that any individual fails to comply with the terms of this Order and in any way illegally hinders or obstructs, or attempts to hinder or obstruct, any law­ enforcement officer acting in his or her official capacity to enforce the terms of this Order, such individual shall be guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction thereof, shall be fined not less than $50 nor more than $500 or confined in jail not more than one year, or both fined and confined pursuant to Chapter 61, Article 5, Section 17 of the West Virginia

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand and caused the Great Seal of the State of West Virginia to be affixed.

DONE at the Capitol in the City of Charleston, State of West Virginia, this Thirtieth day of March, in the year of our Lord, Two Thousand Twenty in the One Hundred Fifty-seventh year of the State.