RICHMOND, Va. — Masking is now recommended for 19 localities in Virginia and that includes some localities in Metro Richmond, 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 17.0%, new cases were up 21% this week and 73.6% 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 2.9% as of Dec. 14 and 85.3% 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. 22 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 17.0%; new cases up 21% last week
Scroll down for a complete alphabetized list city/county-by-county breakdown of localities in Virginia
Nineteen localities — including Colonial Heights, Dinwiddie, Henrico, Hopewell, Petersburg and Prince George in Central Virginia — rank as high where masking indoors is recommended by the CDC. That is up from 8 localities that ranked as high last week.
Sixty-two localities — including Amelia, Charles City, Chesterfield, Cumberland, Essex, Goochland, Hanover, King and Queen, King William, Lancaster, Middlesex, New Kent, Northumberland, Powhatan, Prince Edward, Richmond City and Richmond County in Central Virginia — rank as medium. Sixty localities ranked as medium last week.
The remaining 52 localities in the Commonwealth rank as low. That is down from the 65 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
- 19 Virginia localities this week; up from 8 localities last week
Amherst (ranked medium last week)
Bedford (ranked medium last week)
Botetourt (ranked medium last week)
Campbell (no change from last week)
Colonial Heights (ranked medium last week)
Dinwiddie (ranked medium last week)
Giles (ranked low last week)
Halifax (ranked medium last week)
Henrico (ranked medium last week)
Hopewell (ranked medium last week)
Norton (no change from last week)
Petersburg (no change from last week)
Prince George (ranked medium last week)
Pulaski (ranked low last week)
Salem (ranked medium last week)
Surry (ranked medium last week)
Sussex (ranked medium last week)
Warren (ranked medium last week)
Washington (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
- 62 Virginia localities this week; up from 60 last week
Accomack (no change from last week)
Alexandria (ranked low last week)
Amelia (no change from last week)
Appomattox (ranked high last week)
Bristol (no change from last week)
Carroll (no change from last week)
Charles City (no change from last week)
Charlotte (no change from last week)
Chesterfield (no change from last week)
Clarke (ranked low last week)
Covington (ranked low last week)
Craig (no change from last week)
Cumberland (no change from last week)
Danville (ranked low last week)
Dickenson (ranked high last week)
Essex (no change from last week)
Falls Church (ranked low last week)
Floyd (no change from last week)
Franklin County (no change from last week)
Frederick (ranked low last week)
Galax (no change from last week)
Goochland (no change from last week)
Grayson (no change from last week)
Hanover (no change from last week)
Harrisonburg (ranked low last week)
James City (ranked low last week)
King and Queen (no change from last week)
King George (no change from last week)
King William (no change from last week)
Lancaster (no change from last week)
Lee (no change from last week)
Lunenburg (no change from last week)
Lynchburg (no change from last week)
Madison (ranked low last week)
Martinsville (ranked low last week)
Mecklenburg (no change from last week)
Middlesex (no change from last week)
Montgomery (ranked low last week)
New Kent (no change from last week)
Northumberland (no change from last week)
Nottoway (ranked high last week)
Page (ranked low last week)
Patrick (ranked low last week)
Pittsylvania (ranked low last week)
Powhatan (no change from last week)
Prince Edward (no change from last week)
Radford (ranked low last week)
Richmond City (no change from last week)
Richmond County (no change from last week)
Roanoke City (no change from last week)
Roanoke County (no change from last week)
Rockingham (ranked low last week)
Russell (no change from last week)
Scott (ranked high last week)
Shenandoah (ranked low last week)
Smyth (ranked high last week)
Staunton (ranked low last week)
Waynesboro (ranked low last week)
Westmoreland (no change from last week)
Winchester (ranked low last week)
Wise (no change from last week)
Wythe (ranked low last week)
Low Community Level
- Stay up to date with COVID-19 vaccines
- Get tested if you have symptoms
- 52 Virginia localities this week; up from 65 last week
Albemarle (no change from last week)
Alleghany (no change from last week)
Arlington (no change from last week)
Augusta (no change from last week)
Bath (ranked medium last week)
Bland (no change from last week)
Brunswick (ranked medium last week)
Buchanan (no change from last week)
Buckingham (no change from last week)
Buena Vista (no change from last week)
Caroline (ranked medium last week)
Charlottesville (no change from last week)
Chesapeake (no change from last week)
Culpeper (no change from last week)
Emporia (ranked medium last week)
Fairfax City (no change from last week)
Fairfax County (no change from last week)
Fauquier (no change from last week)
Fluvanna (no change from last week)
Franklin City (no change from last week)
Fredericksburg (ranked medium last week)
Gloucester (no change from last week)
Greene (no change from last week)
Greensville (ranked medium last week)
Hampton (no change from last week)
Henry (ranked medium last week)
Highland (no change from last week)
Isle of Wight (no change from last week)
Lexington (no change from last week)
Loudoun (no change from last week)
Louisa (no change from last week)
Manassas (no change from last week)
Manassas Park (no change from last week)
Mathews (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 (ranked medium last week)
Poquoson (no change from last week)
Portsmouth (no change from last week)
Prince William (no change from last week)
Rappahannock (no change from last week)
Rockbridge (no change from last week)
Southampton (no change from last week)
Spotsylvania (ranked medium last week)
Stafford (ranked medium last week)
Suffolk (no change from last week)
Tazewell (no change from last week)
Virginia Beach (no change from last week)
Williamsburg (no change from last week)
York (no change from last week)
Full Virginia City/County-by-County Breakdown
Accomack Medium
Albemarle Low
Alexandria Medium
Alleghany Low
Amelia Medium
Amherst High
Appomattox Medium
Arlington Low
Augusta Low
Bath Low
Bedford High
Bland Low
Botetourt High
Bristol Medium
Brunswick Low
Buchanan Low
Buckingham Low
Buena Vista Low
Campbell High
Caroline Low
Carroll Medium
Charles City Medium
Charlotte Medium
Charlottesville Low
Chesapeake Low
Chesterfield Medium
Clarke Medium
Colonial Heights High
Covington Medium
Craig Medium
Culpeper Low
Cumberland Medium
Danville Medium
Dickenson Medium
Dinwiddie High
Emporia Low
Essex Medium
Fairfax City Low
Fairfax County Low
Falls Church Medium
Fauquier Low
Floyd Medium
Fluvanna Low
Franklin City Low
Franklin County Medium
Frederick Medium
Fredericksburg Low
Galax Medium
Giles High
Gloucester Low
Goochland Medium
Grayson Medium
Greene Low
Greensville Low
Halifax High
Hampton Low
Hanover Medium
Harrisonburg Medium
Henrico High
Henry Low
Highland Low
Hopewell High
Isle of Wight Low
James City Medium
King and Queen Medium
King George Medium
King William Medium
Lancaster Medium
Lee Medium
Lexington Low
Loudoun Low
Louisa Low
Lunenburg Medium
Lynchburg Medium
Madison Medium
Manassas Low
Manassas Park Low
Martinsville Medium
Mathews Low
Mecklenburg Medium
Middlesex Medium
Montgomery Medium
Nelson Low
New Kent Medium
Newport News Low
Norfolk Low
Northampton Low
Northumberland Medium
Norton High
Nottoway Medium
Orange Low
Page Medium
Patrick Medium
Petersburg High
Pittsylvania Medium
Poquoson Low
Portsmouth Low
Powhatan Medium
Prince Edward Medium
Prince George High
Prince William Low
Pulaski High
Radford Medium
Rappahannock Low
Richmond Medium
Richmond County Medium
Roanoke Medium
Roanoke County Medium
Rockbridge Low
Rockingham Medium
Russell Medium
Salem High
Scott Medium
Shenandoah Medium
Smyth Medium
Southampton Low
Spotsylvania Low
Stafford Low
Staunton Medium
Suffolk Low
Surry High
Sussex High
Tazewell Low
Virginia Beach Low
Warren High
Washington High
Waynesboro Medium
Westmoreland Medium
Williamsburg Low
Winchester Medium
Wise Medium
Wythe Medium
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.