RICHMOND, Va. — Masking is now recommended 57 localities in the Commonwealth and that includes all of Metro Richmond and the majority of the WTVR CBS 6 viewing area, according to this week's update from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
The agency released an updated map Thursday, Jan. 5 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
Fifty-seven localities — including Charles City, Chesterfield, Colonial Heights, Cumberland, Dinwiddie, Essex, Goochland, Hanover, Henrico, Hopewell, King and Queen, King William, Lancaster, Lunenburg, Middlesex, New Kent, Northumberland, Petersburg, Powhatan, Prince Edward, Prince George, Richmond City and Richmond County — rank as high where masking indoors is recommended by the CDC. That is up from 33 localities that ranked as high last week.
Forty-six localities rank as medium compared to the 49 localities ranked as medium last week.
The remaining 30 localities in the Commonwealth rank as low. That is down from the 51 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
- 57 Virginia localities this week; up from 33 localities last week
Alleghany (ranked medium last week)
Amelia (ranked medium last week)
Amherst (ranked medium last week)
Appomattox (ranked low last week)
Bedford (ranked low last week)
Bland (ranked medium last week)
Botetourt (ranked medium last week)
Bristol (ranked low last week)
Buchanan (ranked medium last week)
Buena Vista (no change from last week)
Campbell (ranked low last week)
Carroll (no change from last week)
Charles City (ranked medium last week)
Charlotte (no change from last week)
Chesterfield (no change from last week)
Colonial Heights (no change from last week)
Covington (ranked low last week)
Craig (ranked low last week)
Cumberland (ranked medium last week)
Dinwiddie (no change from last week)
Essex (no change from last week)
Floyd (ranked low last week)
Franklin County (ranked low last week)
Fredericksburg (ranked medium last week)
Galax (no change from last week)
Giles (no change from last week)
Goochland (ranked medium last week)
Halifax (no change from last week)
Hampton (ranked medium last week)
Hanover (ranked medium last week)
Henrico (no change from last week)
Hopewell (no change from last week)
King and Queen (ranked medium last week)
King William (ranked medium last week)
Lancaster (ranked medium last week)
Lunenburg (no change from last week)
Lynchburg (ranked low last week)
Mathews (ranked low last week)
Mecklenburg (no change from last week)
Middlesex (ranked medium last week)
New Kent (ranked medium last week)
Northumberland (no change from last week)
Nottoway (ranked medium last week)
Petersburg (no change from last week)
Powhatan (ranked medium last week)
Prince Edward (no change from last week)
Prince George (no change from last week)
Richmond City (ranked medium last week)
Richmond County (no change from last week)
Roanoke City (ranked low last week)
Roanoke County (ranked medium last week)
Russell (ranked low last week)
Salem (ranked low last week)
Surry (no change from last week)
Sussex (no change from last week)
Tazewell (ranked medium last week)
Westmoreland (no change from 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
- 46 Virginia localities this week; down from 49 last week
Accomack (ranked high last week)
Augusta (no change from last week)
Bath (ranked low last week)
Caroline (no change from last week)
Chesapeake (ranked low last week)
Clarke (ranked high last week)
Danville (no change from last week)
Franklin City (ranked low last week)
Frederick (no change from last week)
Gloucester (ranked low last week)
Grayson (ranked high last week)
Harrisonburg (no change from last week)
Henry (ranked low last week)
Highland (no change from last week)
Isle of Wight (ranked low last week)
James City (no change from last week)
King George (ranked high last week)
Lexington (ranked high last week)
Montgomery (no change from last week)
Newport News (ranked low last week)
Norfolk (ranked low last week)
Northampton (no change from last week)
Norton (ranked high last week)
Page (no change from last week)
Poquoson (ranked low last week)
Portsmouth (ranked low last week)
Pulaski (ranked high last week)
Radford (ranked high last week)
Rockbridge (no change from last week)
Rockingham (no change from last week)
Scott (ranked low last week)
Shenandoah (no change from last week)
Smyth (ranked low last week)
Southampton (ranked low last week)
Spotsylvania (no change from last week)
Stafford (no change from last week)
Staunton (no change from last week)
Suffolk (ranked low last week)
Virginia Beach (ranked low last week)
Warren (no change from last week)
Washington (ranked low last week)
Waynesboro (no change from last week)
Williamsburg (ranked low last week)
Winchester (no change from last week)
Wythe (ranked high last week)
York (ranked low last week)
Low Community Level
- Stay up to date with COVID-19 vaccines
- Get tested if you have symptoms
- 30 Virginia localities this week; down from 51 last week
Albemarle (no change from last week)
Alexandria (ranked medium last week)
Arlington (ranked medium last week)
Brunswick (no change from last week)
Buckingham (no change from last week)
Charlottesville (no change from last week)
Culpeper (no change from last week)
Dickenson (ranked high last week)
Emporia (no change from last week)
Fairfax City (ranked medium last week)
Fairfax County (ranked medium last week)
Falls Church (ranked medium last week)
Fauquier (no change from last week)
Fluvanna (no change from last week)
Greene (no change from last week)
Greensville (no change from last week)
Lee (ranked high last week)
Loudoun (ranked medium last week)
Louisa (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)
Nelson (no change from last week)
Orange (no change from last week)
Patrick (no change from last week)
Pittsylvania (ranked medium last week)
Prince William (no change from last week)
Rappahannock (no change from last week)
Wise (ranked high last week)
Full Virginia City/County-by-County Breakdown
Accomack Medium
Albemarle Low
Alexandria Low
Alleghany High
Amelia High
Amherst High
Appomattox High
Arlington Low
Augusta Medium
Bath Medium
Bedford High
Bland High
Botetourt High
Bristol High
Brunswick Low
Buchanan High
Buckingham Low
Buena Vista High
Campbell High
Caroline Medium
Carroll High
Charles City High
Charlotte High
Charlottesville Low
Chesapeake Medium
Chesterfield High
Clarke Medium
Colonial Heights High
Covington High
Craig High
Culpeper Low
Cumberland High
Danville Medium
Dickenson Low
Dinwiddie High
Emporia Low
Essex High
Fairfax City Low
Fairfax County Low
Falls Church Low
Fauquier Low
Floyd High
Fluvanna Low
Franklin City Medium
Franklin County High
Frederick Medium
Fredericksburg High
Galax High
Giles High
Gloucester Medium
Goochland High
Grayson Medium
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 High
King George Medium
King William High
Lancaster High
Lee Low
Lexington Medium
Loudoun Low
Louisa Low
Lunenburg High
Lynchburg High
Madison Low
Manassas Low
Manassas Park Low
Martinsville Low
Mathews High
Mecklenburg High
Middlesex High
Montgomery Medium
Nelson Low
New Kent High
Newport News Medium
Norfolk Medium
Northampton Medium
Northumberland High
Norton Medium
Nottoway High
Orange Low
Page Medium
Patrick Low
Petersburg High
Pittsylvania Low
Poquoson Medium
Portsmouth Medium
Powhatan High
Prince Edward High
Prince George High
Prince William Low
Pulaski Medium
Radford Medium
Rappahannock Low
Richmond City High
Richmond County High
Roanoke City High
Roanoke County High
Rockbridge Medium
Rockingham Medium
Russell High
Salem High
Scott Medium
Shenandoah Medium
Smyth Medium
Southampton Medium
Spotsylvania Medium
Stafford Medium
Staunton Medium
Suffolk Medium
Surry High
Sussex High
Tazewell High
Virginia Beach Medium
Warren Medium
Washington Medium
Waynesboro Medium
Westmoreland High
Williamsburg Medium
Winchester Medium
Wise Low
Wythe Medium
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.