RICHMOND, Va. — Universal masking is now recommended for 21 localities in Virginia, and that once again includes parts 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 22.3%, but new cases dropped 6% last week. are fully vaccinated against the virus, according to the Virginia Department of Health. COVID cases in the U.S. decreased 5.6% as of the week of June 22, and 83.2% 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 9 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 dropped 13% last week; 7-day positivity rate climbs to 22.3%
Scroll down for a complete alphabetized list city/county-by-county breakdown of localities in Virginia
Twenty-one localities in Virginia rank as high where masking indoors is recommended by the CDC. That includes Amelia, Charles City, Chesterfield, Colonial Heights, Henrico, Lancaster, Middlesex, Northumberland, Nottoway and the city of Richmond.
Sixty localities in the Commonwealth now rank as medium, including Cumberland, Dinwiddie, Essex, Goochland, Hanover, Hopewell, King and Queen, King William, Petersburg, Powhatan, Prince Edward and Richmond County.
Fifty-two 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
- 21 Virginia localities this week; down from 28 localities last week
Alleghany (ranked medium last week)
Amelia (ranked medium last week)
Amherst (no change from last week)
Appomattox (ranked medium last week)
Campbell (no change from last week)
Charles City (ranked medium last week)
Charlotte (ranked medium last week)
Chesterfield (no change from last week)
Colonial Heights (no change from last week)
Covington (ranked low last week)
Halifax (no change from last week)
Henrico (no change from last week)
Lancaster (ranked medium last week)
Lunenburg (no change from last week)
Lynchburg (ranked medium last week)
Mecklenburg (no change from last week)
Middlesex (ranked medium last week)
Northumberland (ranked medium last week)
Nottoway (ranked medium last week)
Richmond (no change from last week)
Salem (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; up from 75 localities last week
Alexandria (no change from last week)
Arlington (no change from last week)
Augusta (no change from last week)
Bath (ranked low last week)
Bedford (no change from last week)
Bland (ranked low last week)
Botetourt (no change from last week)
Bristol (no change from last week)
Buchanan (ranked low last week)
Caroline (ranked low last week)
Charlottesville (ranked high last week)
Craig (no change from last week)
Cumberland (no change from last week)
Danville (no change from last week)
Dickenson (no change from last week)
Dinwiddie (ranked high last week)
Essex (no change from 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)
Frederick (ranked low last week)
Galax (ranked high last week)
Gloucester (no change from last week)
Goochland (ranked high last week)
Hampton (no change from last week)
Hanover (ranked high last week)
Henry (no change from last week)
Hopewell (no change from last week)
James City (no change from last week)
King and Queen (no change from last week)
King George (ranked low last week)
King William (no change from last week)
Loudoun (no change from last week)
Manassas (no change from last week)
Manassas Park (ranked low last week)
New Kent (no change from last week)
Newport News (no change from last week)
Northampton (no change from last week)
Norton (no change from last week)
Petersburg (ranked high last week)
Powhatan (no change from last week)
Prince Edward (ranked high last week)
Prince William (no change from last week)
Pulaski (ranked low last week)
Richmond County (no change from last week)
Roanoke County (no change from last week)
Roanoke City (no change from last week)
Rockbridge (ranked high last week)
Russell (no change from last week)
Spotsylvania (ranked low last week)
Stafford (no change from last week)
Staunton (ranked high last week)
Suffolk (ranked high last week)
Tazewell (ranked low last week)
Virginia Beach (ranked high last week)
Washington (ranked high last week)
Westmoreland (no change from last week)
Wise (no change from last week)
Wythe (no change from 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 30 last week
Accomack (ranked medium last week)
Albemarle (ranked medium last week)
Brunswick (no change from last week)
Buckingham (ranked medium last week)
Buena Vista (ranked high last week)
Carroll (ranked high last week)
Chesapeake (ranked high last week)
Clarke (ranked medium last week)
Culpeper (ranked medium last week)
Emporia (no change from last week)
Fairfax City (no change from last week)
Fauquier (no change from last week)
Fluvanna (ranked medium last week)
Franklin (ranked medium last week)
Fredericksburg (no change from last week)
Giles (no change from last week)
Grayson (ranked medium last week)
Greene (ranked medium last week)
Greensville (ranked medium last week)
Harrisonburg (no change from last week)
Highland (ranked medium last week)
Isle of Wight (ranked medium last week)
Lee (no change from last week)
Lexington (ranked medium last week)
Louisa (ranked medium last week)
Madison (ranked medium last week)
Martinsville (ranked medium last week)
Mathews (ranked medium last week)
Montgomery (no change from last week)
Nelson (ranked medium last week)
Norfolk (ranked medium last week)
Orange (ranked medium last week)
Page (no change from last week)
Patrick (no change from last week)
Pittsylvania (no change from last week)
Poquoson (no change from last week)
Portsmouth (ranked high last week)
Prince George (ranked high last week)
Radford (no change from last week)
Rappahannock (ranked medium last week)
Rockingham (no change from last week)
Scott (ranked medium last week)
Shenandoah (no change from last week)
Smyth (ranked high last week)
Southampton (ranked medium last week)
Surry (ranked medium last week)
Sussex (ranked medium last week)
Warren (no change from last week)
Waynesboro (ranked high last week)
Williamsburg (no change from last week)
Winchester (no change from last week)
York (ranked medium 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 Low
Albemarle Low
Alexandria Medium
Alleghany High
Amelia High
Amherst High
Appomattox High
Arlington Medium
Augusta Medium
Bath Medium
Bedford Medium
Bland Medium
Botetourt Medium
Bristol Medium
Brunswick Low
Buchanan Medium
Buckingham Low
Buena Vista Low
Campbell High
Caroline Medium
Carroll Low
Charles City High
Charlotte High
Charlottesville Medium
Chesapeake Low
Chesterfield High
Clarke Low
Colonial Heights High
Covington High
Craig Medium
Culpeper Low
Cumberland Medium
Danville Medium
Dickenson Medium
Dinwiddie Medium
Emporia Low
Essex Medium
Fairfax City Low
Fairfax County Medium
Falls Church Medium
Fauquier Low
Floyd Medium
Fluvanna Low
Franklin County Medium
Franklin City Low
Fredericksburg City Low
Frederick County Medium
Galax Medium
Giles Low
Gloucester Medium
Goochland Medium
Grayson Low
Greene Low
Greensville Low
Halifax High
Hampton Medium
Hanover Medium
Harrisonburg Low
Henrico High
Henry Medium
Highland Low
Hopewell Medium
Isle of Wight Low
James City Medium
King and Queen Medium
King George Medium
King William Medium
Lancaster High
Lee Low
Lexington Low
Loudoun Medium
Louisa Low
Lunenburg High
Lynchburg High
Madison Low
Manassas Medium
Manassas Park Medium
Martinsville Low
Mathews Low
Mecklenburg High
Middlesex High
Montgomery Low
Nelson Low
New Kent Medium
Newport News Medium
Norfolk Low
Northampton Medium
Northumberland High
Norton Medium
Nottoway High
Orange Low
Page Low
Patrick Low
Petersburg Medium
Pittsylvania Low
Poquoson Low
Portsmouth Low
Powhatan Medium
Prince Edward Medium
Prince George Low
Prince William Medium
Pulaski Medium
Radford Low
Rappahannock Low
Richmond City High
Richmond County Medium
Roanoke City Medium
Roanoke County Medium
Rockbridge Medium
Rockingham Low
Russell Medium
Salem High
Scott Low
Shenandoah Low
Smyth Low
Southampton Low
Spotsylvania Medium
Stafford Medium
Staunton Medium
Suffolk Medium
Surry Low
Sussex Low
Tazewell Medium
Virginia Beach Medium
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.