RICHMOND, Va. — Masking is now recommended for 16 localities in the Commonwealth, including six parts of the WTVR CBS 6 viewing area as much of Metro Richmond has shifted back to 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 decreased to 18.68%, new cases were down 34% last week and 73.6% of Virginia's population was fully vaccinated, according to the Virginia Department of Health. The 7-day moving average for weekly COVID cases in the U.S. decreased 23.9% as of Jan. 18 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. 19 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: 1,000 COVID-19 patients discharged last week; Virginia hospitalizations down 10%
Scroll down for a complete alphabetized list city/county-by-county breakdown of localities in Virginia
Sixteen localities — including Dinwiddie, Hopewell, Lunenburg, Middlesex, Petersburg and Prince George in Central Virginia — rank as high where masking indoors is recommended by the CDC. That is down from 65 localities that ranked as high last week.
Sixty-two localities — including Amelia, Charles City, Chesterfield, Colonial Heights, Cumberland, Emporia, Essex, Goochland, Hanover, Henrico, Lancaster, New Kent, Northumberland, Powhatan, Prince Edward, Richmond City and Richmond County in Central Virginia — rank as medium. Forty-eight localities ranked as medium last week.
The remaining 55 localities in the Commonwealth rank as low. That is up from the 20 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
- 16 Virginia localities this week; down from 65 localities last week
Campbell (no change from last week)
Carroll (no change from last week)
Danville (no change from last week)
Dickenson (ranked medium last week)
Dinwiddie (no change from last week)
Galax (no change from last week)
Grayson (no change from last week)
Halifax (no change from last week)
Hopewell (no change from last week)
Lunenburg (no change from last week)
Mecklenburg (no change from last week)
Middlesex (no change from last week)
Petersburg (no change from last week)
Prince George (no change from last week)
Surry (no change from last week)
Sussex (no change from last week)
COVID-19 Community Transmission Levels calculated on Jan. 19, 2023.
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 48 last week
Alexandria (ranked high last week)
Amelia (ranked high last week)
Amherst (ranked high last week)
Appomattox (ranked high last week)
Arlington (no change from last week)
Bedford (ranked high last week)
Bland (ranked high last week)
Botetourt (ranked high last week)
Bristol (ranked high last week)
Buchanan (no change from last week)
Charles City (ranked high last week)
Charlotte (ranked high last week)
Chesterfield (ranked high last week)
Colonial Heights (ranked high last week)
Covington (ranked high last week)
Craig (no change from last week)
Cumberland (ranked high last week)
Emporia (ranked low last week)
Essex (no change from last week)
Fairfax City (ranked high last week)
Fairfax County (no change from last week)
Falls Church (no change from last week)
Floyd (no change from last week)
Franklin County (no change from last week)
Giles (no change from last week)
Goochland (ranked high last week)
Hanover (ranked high last week)
Henrico (ranked high last week)
Henry (no change from last week)
King and Queen (no change from last week)
King William (no change from last week)
Lancaster (ranked high last week)
Lee (ranked low last week)
Loudoun (no change from last week)
Lynchburg (ranked high last week)
Manassas (no change from last week)
Martinsville (ranked high last week)
Mathews (ranked high last week)
Montgomery (no change from last week)
New Kent (no change from last week)
Northumberland (no change from last week)
Norton (no change from last week)
Nottoway (ranked high last week)
Patrick (ranked high last week)
Pittsylvania (ranked high last week)
Powhatan (no change from last week)
Prince Edward (ranked high last week)
Pulaski (ranked high last week)
Radford (ranked high last week)
Richmond City (no change from last week)
Richmond County (no change from last week)
Roanoke City (ranked high last week)
Roanoke County (ranked high last week)
Russell (ranked high last week)
Salem (no change from last week)
Scott (ranked high last week)
Smyth (no change from last week)
Tazewell (ranked high last week)
Washington (ranked high last week)
Westmoreland (ranked high last week)
Wise (no change from last week)
Wythe (ranked high last week)
Low Community Level
- Stay up to date with COVID-19 vaccines
- Get tested if you have symptoms
- 55 Virginia localities this week; up from 20 last week
Accomack (ranked high last week)
Albemarle (no change from last week)
Alleghany (ranked high last week)
Augusta (ranked high last week)
Bath (ranked high last week)
Brunswick (no change from last week)
Buckingham (no change from last week)
Buena Vista (ranked medium last week)
Caroline (no change from last week)
Charlottesville (no change from last week)
Chesapeake (ranked medium last week)
Clarke (ranked high last week)
Culpeper (no change from last week)
Fauquier (no change from last week)
Fluvanna (no change from last week)
Franklin City (ranked medium last week)
Frederick (ranked medium last week)
Fredericksburg (no change from last week)
Gloucester (ranked high last week)
Greene (no change from last week)
Greensville (no change from last week)
Hampton (ranked high last week)
Harrisonburg (ranked medium last week)
Highland (ranked medium last week)
Isle of Wight (ranked medium last week)
James City (ranked medium last week)
King George (no change from last week)
Lexington (ranked medium last week)
Louisa (ranked medium last week)
Madison (no change from last week)
Manassas Park (ranked high last week)
Nelson (no change from last week)
Newport News (ranked high last week)
Norfolk (ranked medium last week)
Northampton (ranked medium last week)
Orange (no change from last week)
Page (ranked high last week)
Poquoson (ranked medium last week)
Portsmouth (ranked high last week)
Prince William (ranked medium last week)
Rappahannock (no change from last week)
Rockbridge (ranked high last week)
Rockingham (ranked medium last week)
Shenandoah (ranked high last week)
Southampton (ranked medium last week)
Spotsylvania (no change from last week)
Stafford (no change from last week)
Staunton (ranked high last week)
Suffolk (ranked medium last week)
Virginia Beach (ranked medium last week)
Warren (ranked high last week)
Waynesboro (ranked medium last week)
Williamsburg (ranked medium last week)
Winchester (ranked medium last week)
York (ranked medium last week)
Full Virginia City/County-by-County Breakdown
Accomack Low
Albemarle Low
Alexandria Medium
Alleghany Low
Amelia Medium
Amherst Medium
Appomattox Medium
Arlington Medium
Augusta Low
Bath Low
Bedford Medium
Bland Medium
Botetourt Medium
Bristol Medium
Brunswick Low
Buchanan Medium
Buckingham Low
Buena Vista Low
Campbell High
Caroline Low
Carroll High
Charles City Medium
Charlotte Medium
Charlottesville Low
Chesapeake Low
Chesterfield Medium
Clarke Low
Colonial Heights Medium
Covington Medium
Craig Medium
Culpeper Low
Cumberland Medium
Danville High
Dickenson High
Dinwiddie High
Emporia Medium
Essex Medium
Fairfax City Medium
Fairfax County Medium
Falls Church Medium
Fauquier Low
Floyd Medium
Fluvanna Low
Franklin City Low
Franklin County Medium
Frederick Low
Fredericksburg Low
Galax High
Giles Medium
Gloucester Low
Goochland Medium
Grayson High
Greene Low
Greensville Low
Halifax High
Hampton Low
Hanover Medium
Harrisonburg Low
Henrico Medium
Henry Medium
Highland Low
Hopewell High
Isle of Wight Low
James City Low
King and Queen Medium
King George Low
King William Medium
Lancaster Medium
Lee Medium
Lexington Low
Loudoun Medium
Louisa Low
Lunenburg High
Lynchburg Medium
Madison Low
Manassas Medium
Manassas Park Low
Martinsville Medium
Mathews Medium
Mecklenburg High
Middlesex High
Montgomery Medium
Nelson Low
New Kent Medium
Newport News Low
Norfolk Low
Northampton Low
Northumberland Medium
Norton Medium
Nottoway Medium
Orange Low
Page Low
Patrick Medium
Petersburg High
Pittsylvania Medium
Poquoson Low
Portsmouth Low
Powhatan Medium
Prince Edward Medium
Prince George High
Prince William Low
Pulaski Medium
Radford Medium
Rappahannock Low
Richmond City Medium
Richmond County Medium
Roanoke City Medium
Roanoke County Medium
Rockbridge Low
Rockingham Low
Russell Medium
Salem Medium
Scott Medium
Shenandoah Low
Smyth Medium
Southampton Low
Spotsylvania Low
Stafford Low
Staunton Low
Suffolk Low
Surry High
Sussex High
Tazewell Medium
Virginia Beach Low
Warren Low
Washington Medium
Waynesboro Low
Westmoreland Medium
Williamsburg Low
Winchester Low
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.