RICHMOND, Va. — Masking is now recommended for 65 localities in the Commonwealth and that continues to include much of Metro Richmond and most of the WTVR CBS 6 viewing area, according to this week's update from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
The update comes as 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. increased 16.2% Jan. 6 and 85.4% 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, Jan. 12 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: Nearly 900 COVID-19 patients discharged last week; Virginia hospitalizations up 24% last week
Scroll down for a complete alphabetized list city/county-by-county breakdown of localities in Virginia
Sixty-five localities — including Amelia, Charles City, Chesterfield, Colonial Heights, Cumberland, Dinwiddie, Goochland, Hanover, Henrico, Hopewell, Lancaster, Lunenburg, Middlesex, Petersburg, Prince Edward and Prince George in Central Virginia — rank as high where masking indoors is recommended by the CDC. That is up from 57 localities that ranked as high last week.
Forty-eight localities — including Essex, King and Queen, King William, Louisa, New Kent, Northumberland, Powhatan, Richmond City and Richmond County in Central Virginia — rank as medium. Forty-six localities ranked as medium last week.
The remaining 20 localities in the Commonwealth rank as low. That is down from the 30 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
- 65 Virginia localities this week; up from 57 localities last week
Accomack (ranked medium last week)
Alexandria (ranked low last week)
Alleghany (no change from last week)
Amelia (no change from last week)
Amherst (no change from last week)
Appomattox (no change from last week)
Augusta (ranked medium last week)
Bath (ranked medium last week)
Bedford (no change from last week)
Bland (no change from last week)
Botetourt (no change from last week)
Bristol (no change from last week)
Campbell (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 medium last week)
Colonial Heights (no change from last week)
Covington (no change from last week)
Cumberland (no change from last week)
Danville (ranked medium last week)
Dinwiddie (no change from last week)
Fairfax City (ranked medium last week)
Galax (no change from last week)
Gloucester (ranked medium last week)
Goochland (no change from last week)
Grayson (ranked medium last week)
Halifax (no change from last week)
Hampton (no change from last week)
Hanover (no change from last week)
Henrico (no change from last week)
Hopewell (no change from last week)
Lancaster (no change from last week)
Lunenburg (no change from last week)
Lynchburg (no change from last week)
Martinsville (ranked low last week)
Mathews (no change from last week)
Mecklenburg (no change from last week)
Middlesex (no change from last week)
Newport News (ranked medium last week)
Nottoway (no change from last week)
Page (ranked medium last week)
Patrick (ranked low last week)
Petersburg (no change from last week)
Pittsylvania (ranked low last week)
Portsmouth (ranked medium last week)
Prince Edward (no change from last week)
Prince George (no change from last week)
Pulaski (ranked medium last week)
Radford (ranked medium last week)
Roanoke County (no change from last week)
Roanoke City (no change from last week)
Rockbridge (ranked medium last week)
Russell (no change from last week)
Scott (ranked medium last week)
Shenandoah (ranked medium last week)
Staunton (ranked medium last week)
Surry (no change from last week)
Sussex (no change from last week)
Tazewell (no change from last week)
Warren (ranked medium last week)
Washington (ranked medium last week)
Westmoreland (no change from last week)
Wythe (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
- 48 Virginia localities this week; down from 46 last week
Arlington (ranked low last week)
Buchanan (ranked low last week)
Buena Vista (ranked high last week)
Chesapeake (no change from last week)
Craig (ranked high last week)
Dickenson (ranked low last week)
Essex (ranked high last week)
Fairfax County (ranked low last week)
Falls Church (ranked low last week)
Floyd (ranked high last week)
Franklin City (no change from last week)
Franklin County (ranked high last week)
Frederick (ranked low last week)
Giles (ranked high last week)
Harrisonburg (no change from last week)
Henry (no change from last week)
Highland (no change from last week)
Isle of Wight (no change from last week)
James City (no change from last week)
King and Queen (ranked high last week)
King William (ranked high last week)
Lexington (no change from last week)
Loudoun (ranked low last week)
Louisa (ranked low last week)
Manassas (ranked low last week)
Manassas Park (ranked low last week)
Montgomery (no change from last week)
New Kent (ranked high last week)
Norfolk (no change from last week)
Northampton (no change from last week)
Northumberland (ranked high last week)
Norton (no change from last week)
Poquoson (no change from last week)
Powhatan (ranked high last week)
Prince William (ranked low last week)
Richmond City (ranked high last week)
Richmond County (ranked high last week)
Rockingham (no change from last week)
Salem (ranked high last week)
Smyth (no change from last week)
Southampton (no change from last week)
Suffolk (no change from last week)
Virginia Beach (no change from last week)
Waynesboro (no change from last week)
Williamsburg (no change from last week)
Winchester (no change from last week)
Wise (ranked low last week)
York (no change from last week)
Low Community Level
- Stay up to date with COVID-19 vaccines
- Get tested if you have symptoms
- 20 Virginia localities this week; down from 30 last week
Albemarle (no change from last week)
Brunswick (no change from last week)
Buckingham (no change from last week)
Caroline (ranked medium last week)
Charlottesville (ranked medium last week)
Culpeper (no change from last week)
Emporia (no change from last week)
Fauquier (no change from last week)
Fluvanna (no change from last week)
Fredericksburg (ranked high last week)
Greene (no change from last week)
Greensville (no change from last week)
King George (ranked medium last week)
Lee (no change from last week)
Madison (no change from last week)
Nelson (no change from last week)
Orange (no change from last week)
Rappahannock (no change from last week)
Spotsylvania (ranked medium last week)
Stafford (ranked medium last week)
Full Virginia City/County-by-County Breakdown
Accomack High
Albemarle Low
Alexandria High
Alleghany High
Amelia High
Amherst High
Appomattox High
Arlington Medium
Augusta High
Bath High
Bedford High
Bland High
Botetourt High
Bristol High
Brunswick Low
Buchanan Medium
Buckingham Low
Buena Vista Medium
Campbell High
Caroline Low
Carroll High
Charles City High
Charlotte High
Charlottesville Low
Chesapeake Medium
Chesterfield High
Clarke High
Colonial Heights High
Covington High
Craig Medium
Culpeper Low
Cumberland High
Danville High
Dickenson Medium
Dinwiddie High
Emporia Low
Essex Medium
Fairfax County Medium
Fairfax City High
Falls Church Medium
Fauquier Low
Floyd Medium
Fluvanna Low
Franklin County Medium
Franklin City Medium
Frederick Medium
Fredericksburg Low
Galax High
Giles Medium
Gloucester High
Goochland High
Grayson High
Greene Low
Greensville Low
Halifax High
Hampton High
Hanover High
Harrisonburg Medium
Henrico High
Henry Medium
Highland Medium
Hopewell High
Isle of Wight Medium
James City Medium
King and Queen Medium
King George Low
King William Medium
Lancaster High
Lee Low
Lexington Medium
Loudoun Medium
Louisa Medium
Lunenburg High
Lynchburg High
Madison Low
Manassas Medium
Manassas Park Medium
Martinsville High
Mathews High
Mecklenburg High
Middlesex High
Montgomery Medium
Nelson Low
New Kent Medium
Newport News High
Norfolk Medium
Northampton Medium
Northumberland Medium
Norton Medium
Nottoway High
Orange Low
Page High
Patrick High
Petersburg High
Pittsylvania High
Poquoson Medium
Portsmouth High
Powhatan Medium
Prince Edward High
Prince George High
Prince William Medium
Pulaski High
Radford High
Rappahannock Low
Richmond County Medium
Richmond City Medium
Roanoke County High
Roanoke City High
Rockbridge High
Rockingham Medium
Russell High
Salem Medium
Scott High
Shenandoah High
Smyth Medium
Southampton Medium
Spotsylvania Low
Stafford Low
Staunton High
Suffolk Medium
Surry High
Sussex High
Tazewell High
Virginia Beach Medium
Warren High
Washington High
Waynesboro Medium
Westmoreland High
Williamsburg Medium
Winchester Medium
Wise Medium
Wythe High
York Medium
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.