VA Attorney General Targets Price Gouging Amid Coronavirus Crisis

VIRGINIA — Virginia Attorney General Mark Herring is taking new action to crack down on price gouging in Virginia as state health officials try to put the brakes on the spread of the new coronavirus, or COVID-19, across the state. The Virginia Department of Health reported 1,250 cases of the coronavirus Tuesday, an increase of 230 cases from Monday. The number of deaths in the state now stands at 27 compared to 25 on Monday.

On Tuesday, Herring said in a statement that his office has sent warning letters to 42 businesses that residents have accused of price gouging during the coronavirus crisis. The letters tell the businesses they are “the subject of a price gouging complaint, ask for documentation pertaining to the complaint, and advise the businesses to immediately stop any illegal price gouging practices,” according to a statement from the attorney general's office.

“It is unfortunate that businesses will take advantage of a situation like a public health crisis to try and make more money off of necessary goods like hand sanitizer, cleaning supplies, face masks or water,” Herring said.

Businesses can face violations and other penalties for price gouging on items such as food, water, ice, cleaning products, hand sanitizers, medicines and personal protective gear.

Because Virginia, like other states, is under a state of emergency, there are regulations that prohibit a business from “charging ‘unconscionable prices’ for ‘necessary goods and services,'” Herring said in a statement. The “the basic test for determining if a price is unconscionable is whether the post-disaster price grossly exceeds the price charged for the same or similar goods or services during the 10 days immediately before the disaster," the attorney general's office said.

Of the total positive cases in Virginia, 165 people are hospitalized. Fairfax County continues to report the most cases — 245. The next largest numbers are 104 in Arlington County, 103 in Prince William County (including Manassas and Manassas Park), 89 in James City County and 87 in Loudoun County. There are coronavirus cases in 96 Virginia cities and counties.

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The coronavirus cases are almost evenly split between men and women. According to the Virginia Department of Health, 628 of the cases, or 50.2 percent, are men who tested positive while 607 of the cases, or 48.6, are women who tested positive. The sex of the 15 of the positive cases has not been reported.

Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam issued a "stay-at-home" order Monday as cases of the new coronavirus topped 1,000.

The stay-at-home order calls for residents to stay home except to obtain food and other essential services, obtain medical care, travel to and from work, take care of other persons or care for animals, visit a relative, travel to and from an educational institution, volunteer with a group providing charitable or social services, or exercise outdoors with social distancing.

"To date, this has been a suggestion to Virginians," Northam said. "Today it's an order."

The order is in effect from Monday until June 10, unless changed or rescinded by another executive order.

Northam also asked out-of-state travelers to self-quarantine for 14 days, particularly those from areas hit hard by the coronavirus outbreak. "It is clear that more people need to hear this basic message: Stay at home," Northam said.

Last week, Northam issued an executive order banning gatherings of more than 10 people, violation of which is a class 1 misdemeanor. The order also closed nonessential recreation and entertainment businesses, ordered restaurants to operate with takeout and delivery only, and allowed businesses considered essential to operate with regular hours. K-12 schools were ordered to close for the rest of the academic year. This order is in effect through April 23.

On Monday, an inmate in his 20s at the Fairfax County Adult Detention Center tested positive for the coronavirus. The positive test is the first among inmates at the Fairfax detention center. No staff at the detention center have tested positive for the coronavirus. The Virginia Department of Corrections is reporting that no inmates have tested positive for the coronavirus.

Here is a list of positive coronavirus cases in Virginia by county and city, according to Virginia Department of Health data:

VA Coronavirus Cases By County/City
Fairfax County - 244
Arlington County - 104
Prince William County 103
James City County -89
Loudoun County -87
Virginia Beach - 65
Henrico County -62
Chesterfield County -43
Alexandria -30
Norfolk -27
Richmond -26
Stafford County -24
Chesapeake -23
Newport News -23
Albemarle County -21
Charlottesville - 14
York County - 14
Hampton -13
Frederick County - 12
Portsmouth - 12
Louisa County - 9
Williamsburg -8
Accomack County -7
Fauquier County -7
Gloucester County -7
Goochland County - 7
Prince George County -7
Shenandoah County -7
Spotsylvania County -7
Hanover County -6
Harrisonburg -6
Roanoke City -6
Botetourt County - 5
Franklin County - 5
Lynchburg -5
Rockingham County - 5
Danville -4
Hopewell -4
Isle of Wight County -4
Mecklenburg County - 4
Powhatan - 4
Suffolk - 4
Amherst County - 3
Culpeper County - 3
Fluvanna County - 3
Greensville County - 3
King George County -3
Madison County - 3
Northumberland County - 3
Roanoke County - 3
Warren County - 3
Winchester - 3
Amelia County - 2
Bedford County - 2
Buckingham - 2
Lee County - 2
Mathews County - 2
Nelson County - 2
Orange County - 2
Petersburg - 2
Poquoson - 2
Prince Edward County - 2
Rockbridge County - 2
Tazewell County - 2
Washington County - 2
Waynesboro - 2
Alleghany County - 1
Bristol - 1
Brunswick County - 1
Campbell County - 1
Carroll County - 1
Charles City County - 1
Clarke County - 1
Fairfax City - 1
Franklin City - 1
Fredericksburg - 1
Greene County - 1
Halifax County - 1
Henry County - 1
Galax - 1
King and Queen - 1
King William - 1
Lancaster - 1
Montgomery County - 1
New Kent - 1
Northampton County - 1
Nottaway County - 1
Page County - 1
Pittsylvania County - 1
Radford - 1
Smyth County - 1
Southhampton County - 1
Surry County - 1
Wythe County - 1

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