Title 19 — Health
55 chapters · 745 sections in this title.
19 V.I.C. § 1 Communicable diseases
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(a) The Commissioner of Health may by regulation declare any disease to be a communicable disease, and may prescribe the procedure which is to be followed by the patient or person suffering therefrom, the parents of the patient, the householder, the physician attending the patien…
19 V.I.C. § 2 Regulation of communicable diseases; quarantine
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(1) The regulations authorized in section 1 of this title may provide—(1) quarantine or isolation of the patient, of any persons who have been exposed to the patient and therefore liable to have contracted the disease, or of any carrier of the disease;(2) placarding by a suitable…
19 V.I.C. § 31 Enumeration of venereal diseases; duties of Commissioner of Health
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Venereal diseases are held to be infectious, communicable and dangerous to the public health and welfare. The control of venereal diseases in the Virgin Islands shall be vested in the Commissioner of Health. The Commissioner shall exercise every effort to cure and prevent the spr…
19 V.I.C. § 32 Report of venereal disease patients
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Physicians employed by the Virgin Islands and privately practicing physicians shall report patients being treated by them for venereal disease to the Commissioner of Health. Privately practicing physicians may report their patients by number but if treatment is refused, or the pa…
19 V.I.C. § 32a Reporting of Acquired Immunodeficiency Virus Infection; Confidentiality of tests and information; Penalties for breach of confidentiality; Failure to comply with Reporting Requirements
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(a) Each physician who diagnoses and/or treats a person for the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) or the Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS), and each laboratory which concludes with a result diagnostic of HIV infection or AIDS shall report such fact(s) to the Commissioner…
19 V.I.C. § 32b Partner notification
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(a) The Department of Health and/or its authorized representatives may interview any person infected with HIV (as per confirmatory blood test), or anyone directly named as a contact to a known infected individual, for the express purpose of partner notification, which includes ri…
19 V.I.C. § 32c Standards of reporting cases of HIV infection and AIDS
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The physician rendering the diagnosis of HIV infection or AIDS or providing treatment for the same shall report the initial diagnosis and date (by month, day and year) pertaining to HIV diagnosis or AIDS indicator diseases as the same shall be determined by the Commissioner of th…
19 V.I.C. § 33 Treatment of infected persons; hospitalization; penalties for refusal
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(a) Persons who suffer from venereal disease are entitled, without regard to whether they can afford to pay for their medical treatment, to demand that they be taken under treatment at public expense, and likewise are under obligation to submit themselves to such treatment, unles…
19 V.I.C. § 34 Examination of suspected persons
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Persons suspected by the health administration of being infected with venereal disease shall be examined by a physician, under the direction of the Commissioner of Health. If any such person is found to be suffering from a venereal disease, he shall submit to treatment as provide…
19 V.I.C. § 35 Prenatal examination
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Within 120 days after conception all pregnant women shall submit to an examination by a practicing physician subject to the supervision of the Commissioner of Health to determine their freedom from active venereal infection. If found infected they shall be treated as provided in …
19 V.I.C. § 36 Nursing of diseased child; examination of wet-nurses
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(a) A child who is suffering from or whose mother is suffering from venereal disease shall not be given to be suckled by any other woman than its own mother. (b) No woman may act as wet-nurse without previous examination for venereal disease before each case.
19 V.I.C. § 37 Examinations subject to control of Commissioner of Health
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The medical examinations referred to in this chapter are to be conducted at hospitals as prescribed by the Commissioner of Health or privately by duly licensed physicians subject to the approval of the Commissioner of Health.
19 V.I.C. § 38 Examination and treatment of prostitutes
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Whenever a woman is convicted of prostitution she shall be examined by a physician and if found to be suffering from venereal disease shall be placed under medical treatment in accordance with section 33 of this title.
19 V.I.C. § 39 Discharge of patients; penalty for leaving before discharge
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Persons who are placed in a hospital to be treated for venereal disease shall not leave the hospital before they have been discharged by their physician. Whoever violates this section shall be imprisoned not more than 30 days.
19 V.I.C. § 40 Penalty for cohabiting while infected
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Whoever cohabits with another, knowing herself or himself to be afflicted with venereal disease, shall be fined not more than $100 or imprisoned not more than 180 days, or both.
19 V.I.C. § 41 Penalties for violations generally
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Unless otherwise provided, whoever violates any provisions of this chapter shall be fined not more than $100 or imprisoned not more than 180 days, or both.
19 V.I.C. § 51 Bureau of Epidemiology
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(a) There is established in the Department of Health the Bureau of Epidemiology, staffed with an epidemiologist, a communicable disease field supervisor, a disease surveillance officer for St. Croix, a disease surveillance officer for St. Thomas and St. John and a data entry mana…
19 V.I.C. § 71 Duties of Commissioner of Health
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The control of Hansen's disease in the Virgin Islands shall be vested in the Commissioner of Health who shall be responsible for carrying out the provisions of this chapter.
19 V.I.C. § 72 Duties of certain persons to report
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All physicians, midwives, nurses, members of the police force, sanitary inspectors and others, shall report in writing by name to the Commissioner of Health any person known to be suffering from Hansen's disease, or showing symptoms thereof.
19 V.I.C. § 73 Examination for Hansen's disease
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Any person reported as provided in section 72 of this title shall submit to examination by the Commissioner of Health. The examination shall be made at the time and place designated by the Commissioner of Health and in the presence of any person whom the patient may designate.
19 V.I.C. § 74 Treatment of patients with open Hansen's disease
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All cases of open Hansen's disease, that is, cases in which acid-fast bacilli can be found by ordinary method of skin scrapings and nasal smears shall be treated in accordance with regulations prescribed by the Commissioner of Health.
19 V.I.C. § 75 Repealed. June 16, 1958, No. 310, § 2, Sess. L. 1958, p. 310
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19 V.I.C. § 75 Statutes current through Act 9046 of the 2025 session of the 36th Legislature, including all code changes through October 25, 2025 Virgin Islands Code AnnotatedCopyright © 2026 All rights reserved.
19 V.I.C. § 76 Restrictions governing paroled persons afflicted with Hansen's disease
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(1) All paroled persons afflicted with Hansen's disease shall be subject to the following restrictions and regulations:(1) Change of address must be reported immediately to the Commissioner of Health by such paroled persons afflicted with Hansen's disease.(2) No person afflicted …
19 V.I.C. § 77 Examination of persons having contact with those afflicted with Hansen's disease
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All known contacts with a person afflicted with Hansen's disease, including all family connections, by blood or marriage and all persons known to have Hansen's disease, resident in the Virgin Islands, shall submit to examinations by the Commissioner of Health or by a physician li…
19 V.I.C. § 78 Repealed. June 16, 1958, No. 310, § 4, Sess. L. 1958, p. 38
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19 V.I.C. § 78 Statutes current through Act 9046 of the 2025 session of the 36th Legislature, including all code changes through October 25, 2025 Virgin Islands Code AnnotatedCopyright © 2026 All rights reserved.
19 V.I.C. § 79 Violations and penalties
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Whoever fails to comply with the provisions of this chapter shall be fined not more than $100 or imprisoned not more than 180 days, or both. The payment of such fine or imprisonment or both shall not release any person from the examinations provided in this chapter.
19 V.I.C. § 80 Duty of Police Commissioner
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The Police Commissioner shall render to the Commissioner of Health such aid as may be requested for the enforcement of this chapter.
19 V.I.C. § 101 Definitions
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(1) In this chapter:(1) “Cancer” means all malignant neoplasms, regardless of the tissue of origin, including malignant lymphoma, Hodgkin’s disease, and leukemia.(2) “Health care facility” means hospitals; health care clinics; health centers; skilled nursing facilities; mental he…
19 V.I.C. § 102 Establishment of the Cancer Registry
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(a) There is established within the Department of Health under the division of and supervision of the Virgin Islands Chronic Disease Prevention Program, the Virgin Islands Central Cancer Registry. The Registry serves as the territorial surveillance system and repository of cancer…
19 V.I.C. § 103 Participation in program
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(a) Each healthcare provider and health care facility shall report in an electronic format or any other format requested by the Registry each new case of a reportable neoplasm to the Registry not later than 180 days after the date of diagnosis or date of first contact with the al…
19 V.I.C. § 104 Confidentiality
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(a) All cancer case data provided to the Registry must be kept confidential. No information reported to the Registry which identifies or could lead to the identification of an individual cancer patient may be disclosed to any person or entity; except that the identifying informat…
19 V.I.C. § 105 Disclosure
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(a) Cancer case data may be shared with cancer researchers or federal cancer control agencies for the purposes of cancer prevention, control, and research upon the submittal of documentation to the Registry providing that research in cancer prevention or control is ongoing or app…
19 V.I.C. § 106 Liability
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(a) No person who in good faith discloses privileged or confidential information or provides cancer case reports to the Registry or allows the Registry access to a cancer case report is liable in any civil action. (b) The protection from liability provided in subsection (a) does …
19 V.I.C. § 107 Penalties
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Any person who violates a reporting provision of this chapter or regulations or orders pertaining to the reporting of information to the Registry is subject to a civil fine of not less than $1,000 per case but not more than $5,000 per case. Before assessing the fine, the Commissi…
19 V.I.C. § 108 Program funding
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The Registry must be funded through appropriations from the Legislature, federal agencies and through donations from private entities.
19 V.I.C. § 109 Annual report
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The Registry shall publish an annual statistical compilation that does not include identifying information showing the incidence of cancer in the Territory.
19 V.I.C. § 111 Definitions
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(a) As used in this chapter:(a) “Autoimmune disease” means any disease that results from an aberrant immune response, including, without limitation:(1) Acute Disseminated Encephalomyelitis (ADEM)(2) Acute necrotizing hemorrhagic leukoencephalitis(3) Addison’s disease(4) Agammaglo…
19 V.I.C. § 112 Establishment
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The Commissioner of the Department of Health shall establish a territory-wide autoimmune disease registry for the purpose of recording types of autoimmune diseases diagnosed or treated in the Virgin Islands and compiling necessary and appropriate information concerning those case…
19 V.I.C. § 113 Reporting requirements
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Physicians, hospitals, health facilities, ambulatory outpatient surgical centers, and medical laboratories shall report to the Department of Health each confirmed case of autoimmune disease. The Department of Health shall, to the greatest extent possible, use the reported informa…
19 V.I.C. § 114 Use of information and confidentiality
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All information reported or collected for the autoimmune disease registry pursuant to this chapter is for use by the Department of Health only, and the Department of Health shall be keep all individually identifiable health information confidential.
19 V.I.C. § 115 Access to information for conducting research
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(1) The Department of Health shall grant any person or entity involved in a legitimate research activity access to information concerning autoimmune diseases obtained by the Department of Health under this chapter under the conditions that:(1) No individually identifiable health …
19 V.I.C. § 116 Release of confidential information
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(1) The Department of Health may release confidential information concerning individual autoimmune disease patients to physicians and local health officers for diagnostic and treatment purposes if:(1) The patient’s attending physician gives oral or written consent to the release …
19 V.I.C. § 117 Annual report
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Not later than December 31 of each year, the Department of Health shall publish and make available to the public an annual report summarizing the information collected under this chapter during that calendar year.
19 V.I.C. § 121 Definitions
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(a) “Health care facility” means hospitals; health care clinics; health centers; skilled nursing facilities; mental health facilities; kidney disease treatment centers, including freestanding hemodialysis units; intermediate care facilities; ambulatory surgical facilities; rehabi…
19 V.I.C. § 122 Establishment of the Territorial Chronic Kidney Disease, Stroke and Diabetes Registry
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(a) There is established within the Department of Health, the Territorial Chronic Kidney Disease, Stroke and Diabetes Registry. The Registry serves as the territorial surveillance system and repository of data regarding patients who have been diagnosed with chronic kidney disease…
19 V.I.C. § 123 Participation in the program
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(a) Within 60 days of the enactment of this act, the Registry shall create a standardized form for each healthcare provider and health care facility to use to submit all reportable data. Each healthcare provider and health care facility shall report in an electronic format, or an…
19 V.I.C. § 124 Confidentiality
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(a) All chronic kidney disease, stroke and diabetes data provided to the Registry must be kept confidential. No information reported to the Registry which identifies or could lead to the identification of an individual patient may be disclosed to any person or entity; except that…
19 V.I.C. § 125 Disclosure
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(a) Chronic kidney disease, stroke and diabetes case data may be shared with chronic kidney disease, stroke and diabetes researchers or federal chronic kidney disease, stroke and diabetes control agencies for the purposes of chronic kidney disease, stroke and diabetes prevention,…
19 V.I.C. § 126 Liability
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(a) No person, who in good faith, discloses privileged or confidential information or provides chronic kidney disease, stroke and diabetes case reports to the Registry or allows the Registry access to a chronic kidney disease, stroke and diabetes case report is liable in any civi…
19 V.I.C. § 127 Penalties
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Any person who violates a reporting provision of this chapter or regulations or orders pertaining to the reporting of information to the Registry is subject to a civil fine of not less than $1,000 per case, but not more than $5,000 per case. Before assessing the fine, the Commiss…