RICHMOND, Va. — Universal masking is now recommended for 50 localities in Virginia, and that once again includes much of Metro Richmond, according to the COVID Community Levels from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
The update comes as Virginia's 7-day positivity rate climbed to 23.3%, and new cases increased 15% last week. 81.8% of Virginians 18+ had received at least one vaccine dose, according to the Virginia Department of Health. The 7-day moving average for COVID cases in the U.S. increased 15.7% as of July 13 and 83.3% 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, July 14 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: New COVID cases in Virginia up 15% last week; 7-day positivity rate climbs to 23.3%
Scroll down for a complete alphabetized list city/county-by-county breakdown of localities in Virginia
Fifty localities in Virginia rank as high where masking indoors is recommended by the CDC. That includes Amelia, Buckingham, Charles City, Chesterfield, Colonial Heights, Cumberland, Dinwiddie, Goochland, Henrico, Hopewell, Louisa, Lunenburg, King William, New Kent, Petersburg, Prince Georgeand the city of Richmond.
Sixty localities in the Commonwealth now rank as medium, including Caroline, Emporia, Essex, Hanover, King and Queen, Lancaster, Middlesex, Northumberland, Powhatan and Richmond County.
Twenty-three localities now rank as low.
Officials with the Richmond and Henrico Health Districts (RHHD) previously said areas in high have additional safety recommendations from the CDC.
"The biggest difference between high and some of the lower level guidance is we are strongly recommending people wear masks while in indoor public spaces now. Especially individuals who are immunocompromised, at high risk of severe illness, or those people that might be around people that are at higher risks," RHHD Epidemiologist Emily Rich said. "We also recommend that masks are worn anytime you're on public transportation that includes buses, airplanes, trains, etc. You should also wear masks in school or clinical settings. And of course, you can always wear masks if you just prefer to."
Rich said people who are immunocompromised should also consider additional precautions.
"There is a list on the CDC website of some conditions that might put you into that higher risk category," said Rich. "So, I definitely recommend people check the CDC website and talk to their healthcare providers to figure out what additional recommendations they might be following."
The CDC also continues to recommend people to get tested if they are showing symptoms, regardless of the level in their community.
"In Richmond, you can get free tests from some of the libraries," said Rich, who added you can also get free tests from the federal government. "And if you would like to get a test that's not an at home test, Richmond and Henrico do host several testing events each week, which you can find on our website. You can also always pick up tests from a pharmacy and submit a claim with your insurance if you have insurance."
Scroll down for a complete alphabetized list city/county-by-county breakdown of localities in Virginia
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
- 50 Virginia localities this week; up from 21 localities 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)
Bedford (ranked medium last week)
Bland (ranked medium last week)
Botetourt (ranked medium last week)
Buchanan (ranked medium last week)
Buckingham (ranked low last week)
Buena Vista (ranked low last week)
Campbell (no change from last week)
Carroll (ranked low last week)
Charles City (no change from last week)
Charlotte (no change from last week)
Charlottesville (ranked medium last week)
Chesterfield (no change from last week)
Colonial Heights (no change from last week)
Cumberland (ranked medium last week)
Dinwiddie (ranked medium last week)
Floyd (ranked medium last week)
Fluvanna (ranked low last week)
Galax (ranked medium last week)
Goochland (ranked medium last week)
Grayson (ranked low last week)
Greene (ranked low last week)
Halifax (no change from last week)
Henrico (no change from last week)
Hopewell (ranked medium last week)
King William (ranked medium last week)
Louisa (ranked low last week)
Lunenburg (no change from last week)
Lynchburg (no change from last week)
Mecklenburg (no change from last week)
New Kent (ranked medium last week)
Nottoway (no change from last week)
Orange (ranked low last week)
Petersburg (ranked medium last week)
Prince Edward (ranked medium last week)
Prince George (ranked low last week)
Pulaski (ranked medium last week)
Richmond City (no change from last week)
Roanoke City (ranked medium last week)
Roanoke County (ranked medium last week)
Rockbridge (ranked medium last week)
Staunton (ranked medium last week)
Surry (ranked low last week)
Sussex (ranked low last week)
Tazewell (ranked medium last week)
Waynesboro (ranked low 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
- 60 Virginia localities this week; no change from last week
Accomack (ranked low last week)
Albemarle (ranked low last week)
Alexandria (no change from last week)
Alleghany (ranked high last week)
Arlington (no change from last week)
Bath (no change from last week)
Bristol (no change from last week)
Caroline (no change from last week)
Covington (ranked high last week)
Craig (no change from last week)
Culpeper (ranked low last week)
Danville (no change from last week)
Dickenson (no change from last week)
Emporia (ranked low last week)
Essex (no change from last week)
Fairfax County (no change from last week)
Falls Church (no change from last week)
Franklin County (no change from last week)
Frederick (no change from last week)
Giles (ranked low last week)
Hampton (no change from last week)
Hanover (no change from last week)
Henry (no change from last week)
Highland (ranked low last week)
James City (no change from last week)
King and Queen (no change from last week)
King George (no change from last week)
Lancaster (ranked high last week)
Lee (ranked low last week)
Lexington (ranked low last week)
Loudoun (no change from last week)
Madison (ranked low last week)
Manassas (no change from last week)
Manassas Park (no change from last week)
Martinsville (ranked low last week)
Middlesex (ranked high last week)
Montgomery (ranked low last week)
Nelson (ranked low last week)
Newport News (no change from last week)
Northampton (no change from last week)
Northumberland (ranked high last week)
Norton (no change from last week)
Pittsylvania (ranked low last week)
Powhatan (no change from last week)
Prince William (no change from last week)
Radford (ranked low last week)
Rappahannock (ranked low last week)
Richmond County (no change from last week)
Russell (no change from last week)
Salem (ranked high last week)
Scott (ranked low last week)
Smyth (ranked low last week)
Spotsylvania (no change from last week)
Stafford (no change from last week)
Suffolk (no change from last week)
Virginia Beach (no change from last week)
Warren (ranked low last week)
Washington (no change from last week)
Westmoreland (no change from last week)
Wise (no change from last week)
Low Community Level
- Stay up to date with COVID-19 vaccines
- Get tested if you have symptoms
- 23 Virginia localities this week; down from 52 last week
Brunswick (no change from last week)
Chesapeake (no change from last week)
Clarke (no change from last week)
Fairfax City (no change from last week)
Fauquier (no change from last week)
Franklin City (no change from last week)
Fredericksburg (no change from last week)
Gloucester (ranked medium last week)
Greensville (no change from last week)
Harrisonburg (no change from last week)
Isle of Wight (no change from last week)
Mathews (no change from last week)
Norfolk (no change from last week)
Page (no change from last week)
Patrick (no change from last week)
Poquoson (no change from last week)
Portsmouth (no change from last week)
Rockingham (no change from last week)
Shenandoah (no change from last week)
Southampton (no change from last week)
Williamsburg (no change from last week)
Winchester (no change from last week)
York (no change from last week)
RELATED: County-by-county look at COVID-19 cases in Virginia; which areas saw most cases last week
Full Virginia City/County-by-County Breakdown
Accomack Medium
Albemarle Medium
Alexandria Medium
Alleghany Medium
Amelia High
Amherst High
Appomattox High
Arlington Medium
Augusta High
Bath Medium
Bedford High
Bland High
Botetourt High
Bristol Medium
Brunswick Low
Buchanan High
Buckingham High
Buena Vista High
Campbell High
Caroline Medium
Carroll High
Charles City High
Charlotte High
Charlottesville High
Chesapeake Low
Chesterfield High
Clarke Low
Colonial Heights High
Covington Medium
Craig Medium
Culpeper Medium
Cumberland High
Danville Medium
Dickenson Medium
Dinwiddie High
Emporia Medium
Essex Medium
Fairfax City Low
Fairfax County Medium
Falls Church Medium
Fauquier Low
Floyd High
Fluvanna High
Franklin City Low
Franklin County Medium
Frederick Medium
Fredericksburg Low
Galax High
Giles Medium
Gloucester Low
Goochland High
Grayson High
Greene High
Greensville Low
Halifax High
Hampton Medium
Hanover Medium
Harrisonburg Low
Henrico High
Henry Medium
Highland Medium
Hopewell High
Isle of Wight Low
James City Medium
King and Queen Medium
King George Medium
King William High
Lancaster Medium
Lee Medium
Lexington Medium
Loudoun Medium
Louisa High
Lunenburg High
Lynchburg High
Madison Medium
Manassas Medium
Manassas Park Medium
Martinsville Medium
Mathews Low
Mecklenburg High
Middlesex Medium
Montgomery Medium
Nelson Medium
New Kent High
Newport News Medium
Norfolk Low
Northampton Medium
Northumberland Medium
Norton Medium
Nottoway High
Orange High
Page Low
Patrick Low
Petersburg High
Pittsylvania Medium
Poquoson Low
Portsmouth Low
Powhatan Medium
Prince Edward High
Prince George High
Prince William Medium
Pulaski High
Radford Medium
Rappahannock Medium
Richmond City High
Richmond County Medium
Roanoke City High
Roanoke County High
Rockbridge High
Rockingham Low
Russell Medium
Salem Medium
Scott Medium
Shenandoah Low
Smyth Medium
Southampton Low
Spotsylvania Medium
Stafford Medium
Staunton High
Suffolk Medium
Surry High
Sussex High
Tazewell High
Virginia Beach Medium
Warren Medium
Washington Medium
Waynesboro High
Westmoreland Medium
Williamsburg Low
Winchester Low
Wise Medium
Wythe High
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.