RICHMOND, Va. — While the majority of Virginia continues to rank as low for COVID Community Levels, masking is now recommended for five localities and Metro Richmond has shifted back medium, according to this week's update from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
The update comes as Virginia's 7-day positivity rate increased to 10.5%, new cases were up 56% this week and 73.5% of Virginia's population is fully vaccinated, according to the Virginia Department of Health. The 7-day moving average for COVID cases in the U.S. decreased 1.2% as of Nov. 30 and 85% of the country's total population (people 5+) had received at least one vaccine dose, the CDC reported in its weekly update.
The agency released an updated map Thursday, Dec. 1 with county-by-county color designations to indicate whether residents should wear masks or not.
"There are three levels (low, medium, high), which are determined by looking at hospital beds being used by patients with COVID-19, new hospital admissions among people with COVID-19, and the total number of new COVID-19 cases in your area," CDC officials wrote.
IN-DEPTH: 7-day positivity rate is 10.5%; new cases up 56% last week
Scroll down for a complete alphabetized list city/county-by-county breakdown of localities in Virginia
Five localities in Virginia rank as high where masking indoors is recommended by the CDC. That is up from no localities that ranked as high last week.
Twenty-seven localities — including Amelia, Charles City, Chesterfield, Colonial Heights, Cumberland, Essex, Goochland, Hanover, Henrico, King and Queen, King William, Lancaster, Middlesex, New Kent, Northumberland, Powhatan, Prince Edward, Richmond City and Richmond County in Central Virginia — rank as medium. Fourteen localities ranked as medium last week.
The remaining 101 localities in the Commonwealth rank as low. That is down from the 119 localities that ranked as low last week.
High Community Level
- Wear a mask indoors in public
- Stay up to date with COVID-19 vaccines
- Get tested if you have symptoms
- Additional precautions may be needed for people at high risk for severe illness
- 5 Virginia localities this week; up from 0 localities last week
Dickenson (ranked medium last week)
Lee (ranked medium last week)
Norton (ranked medium last week)
Nottoway (ranked low last week)
Wise (ranked medium last week)
Medium Community Level
- If you are at high risk for severe illness, talk to your healthcare provider about whether you need to wear a mask and take other precautions
- Stay up to date with COVID-19 vaccines
- Get tested if you have symptoms
- 27 Virginia localities this week; up from 14 last week
Amelia (no change from last week)
Appomattox (no change from last week)
Charles City (ranked low last week)
Charlotte (no change from last week)
Chesterfield (ranked low last week)
Colonial Heights (ranked low last week)
Cumberland (ranked low last week)
Essex (ranked low last week)
Goochland (ranked low last week)
Hanover (ranked low last week)
Harrisonburg (ranked low last week)
Henrico (ranked low last week)
King and Queen (ranked low last week)
King George (ranked low last week)
King William (ranked low last week)
Lancaster (ranked low last week)
Middlesex (ranked low last week)
New Kent (ranked low last week)
Northumberland (ranked low last week)
Page (ranked low last week)
Powhatan (ranked low last week)
Prince Edward (ranked low last week)
Richmond City (ranked low last week)
Richmond County (ranked low last week)
Rockingham (ranked low last week)
Westmoreland (ranked low last week)
Winchester (ranked low last week)
Low Community Level
- Stay up to date with COVID-19 vaccines
- Get tested if you have symptoms
- 101 Virginia localities this week; down from 119 last week
Accomack (no change from last week)
Albemarle (no change from last week)
Alexandria (no change from last week)
Alleghany (no change from last week)
Amherst (no change from last week)
Arlington (no change from last week)
Augusta (no change from last week)
Bath (no change from last week)
Bedford (no change from last week)
Bland (no change from last week)
Botetourt (no change from last week)
Bristol (ranked medium last week)
Brunswick (no change from last week)
Buchanan (no change from last week)
Buckingham (no change from last week)
Buena Vista (no change from last week)
Campbell (no change from last week)
Caroline (no change from last week)
Carroll (no change from last week)
Charlottesville (no change from last week)
Chesapeake (no change from last week)
Clarke (no change from last week)
Covington (no change from last week)
Craig (ranked medium last week)
Culpeper (no change from last week)
Danville (no change from last week)
Dinwiddie (no change from last week)
Emporia (no change from last week)
Fairfax City (no change from last week)
Fairfax County (no change from last week)
Falls Church (no change from last week)
Fauquier (no change from last week)
Floyd (no change from last week)
Fluvanna (no change from last week)
Franklin City (no change from last week)
Franklin County (no change from last week)
Frederick (no change from last week)
Fredericksburg (no change from last week)
Galax (no change from last week)
Giles (no change from last week)
Gloucester (no change from last week)
Grayson (no change from last week)
Greene (no change from last week)
Greensville (no change from last week)
Halifax (no change from last week)
Hampton (no change from last week)
Henry (no change from last week)
Highland (no change from last week)
Hopewell (no change from last week)
Isle of Wight (no change from last week)
James City (no change from last week)
Lexington (no change from last week)
Loudoun (no change from last week)
Louisa (no change from last week)
Lunenburg (no change from last week)
Lynchburg (no change from last week)
Madison (no change from last week)
Manassas (no change from last week)
Manassas Park (no change from last week)
Martinsville (no change from last week)
Mathews (no change from last week)
Mecklenburg (no change from last week)
Montgomery (no change from last week)
Nelson (no change from last week)
Newport News (no change from last week)
Norfolk (no change from last week)
Northampton (no change from last week)
Orange (no change from last week)
Patrick (no change from last week)
Petersburg (no change from last week)
Pittsylvania (no change from last week)
Poquoson (no change from last week)
Portsmouth (no change from last week)
Prince George (no change from last week)
Prince William (no change from last week)
Pulaski (no change from last week)
Radford (no change from last week)
Rappahannock (no change from last week)
Roanoke City (no change from last week)
Roanoke County (no change from last week)
Rockbridge (no change from last week)
Russell (ranked medium last week)
Salem (no change from last week)
Scott (ranked medium last week)
Shenandoah (no change from last week)
Smyth (ranked medium last week)
Southampton (ranked medium last week)
Spotsylvania (no change from last week)
Stafford (no change from last week)
Staunton (no change from last week)
Suffolk (no change from last week)
Surry (no change from last week)
Sussex (no change from last week)
Tazewell (no change from last week)
Virginia Beach (no change from last week)
Warren (no change from last week)
Washington (no change from last week)
Waynesboro (no change from last week)
Williamsburg (no change from last week)
Wythe (no change from last week)
York (no change from last week)
Full Virginia City/County-by-County Breakdown
Accomack Low
Albemarle Low
Alexandria Low
Alleghany Low
Amelia Medium
Amherst Low
Appomattox Medium
Arlington Low
Augusta Low
Bath Low
Bedford Low
Bland Low
Botetourt Low
Bristol Low
Brunswick Low
Buchanan Low
Buckingham Low
Buena Vista Low
Campbell Low
Caroline Low
Carroll Low
Charles City Medium
Charlotte Medium
Charlottesville Low
Chesapeake Low
Chesterfield Medium
Clarke Low
Colonial Heights Medium
Covington Low
Craig Low
Culpeper Low
Cumberland Medium
Danville Low
Dickenson High
Dinwiddie Low
Emporia Low
Essex Medium
Fairfax City Low
Fairfax County Low
Falls Church Low
Fauquier Low
Floyd Low
Fluvanna Low
Franklin City Low
Franklin County Low
Frederick Low
Fredericksburg Low
Galax Low
Giles Low
Gloucester Low
Goochland Medium
Grayson Low
Greene Low
Greensville Low
Halifax Low
Hampton Low
Hanover Medium
Harrisonburg Medium
Henrico Medium
Henry Low
Highland Low
Hopewell Low
Isle of Wight Low
James City Low
King and Queen Medium
King George Medium
King William Medium
Lancaster Medium
Lee High
Lexington Low
Loudoun Low
Louisa Low
Lunenburg Low
Lynchburg Low
Madison Low
Manassas Low
Manassas Park Low
Martinsville Low
Mathews Low
Mecklenburg Low
Middlesex Medium
Montgomery Low
Nelson Low
New Kent Medium
Newport News Low
Norfolk Low
Northampton Low
Northumberland Medium
Norton High
Nottoway High
Orange Low
Page Medium
Patrick Low
Petersburg Low
Pittsylvania Low
Poquoson Low
Portsmouth Low
Powhatan Medium
Prince Edward Medium
Prince George Low
Prince William Low
Pulaski Low
Radford Low
Rappahannock Low
Richmond City Medium
Richmond County Medium
Roanoke City Low
Roanoke County Low
Rockbridge Low
Rockingham Medium
Russell Low
Salem Low
Scott Low
Shenandoah Low
Smyth Low
Southampton Low
Spotsylvania Low
Stafford Low
Staunton Low
Suffolk Low
Surry Low
Sussex Low
Tazewell Low
Virginia Beach Low
Warren Low
Washington Low
Waynesboro Low
Westmoreland Medium
Williamsburg Low
Winchester Medium
Wise High
Wythe Low
York Low
Virginians age 6 months+ are eligible for COVID-19 vaccine. Go to Vaccine Finderto search for specific vaccines available near you or call 877-VAX-IN-VA (877-275-8343).
Click here for more information from the Virginia Department of Health.