RICHMOND, Va. — Universal masking is now recommended for 28 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 new cases in Virginia increased 13% last week and 73.2% of Virginians 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% 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, June 30 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 13% last week; 73.3% of Virginians now fully vaccinated
Scroll down for a complete alphabetized list city/county-by-county breakdown of localities in Virginia
Twenty-eight localities in Virginia rank as high where masking indoors is recommended by the CDC. That includes Chesterfield, Colonial Heights, Dinwiddie, Goochland, Hanover, Henrico, Petersburg, Prince George and Richmond.
Seventy-five localities in the Commonwealth now rank as medium, including Amelia, Buckingham, Charles City, Cumberland, Essex, Hopewell, James City, King and Queen, King William, Lancaster, Louisa, Middlesex, New Kent, Northumberland, Orange, Powhatan and Richmond County.
Just 30 localities in the state 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
- 28 Virginia localities this week; up from 17 localities last week
Amherst (no change from last week)
Buena Vista (ranked medium last week)
Campbell (no change from last week)
Carroll (ranked medium last week)
Charlottesville (no change from last week)
Chesapeake (ranked low last week)
Chesterfield (ranked medium last week)
Colonial Heights (no change from last week)
Dinwiddie (no change from last week)
Galax (no change from last week)
Goochland (ranked medium last week)
Halifax (no change from last week)
Hanover (ranked medium last week)
Henrico (no change from last week)
Lunenburg (no change from last week)
Mecklenburg (ranked medium last week)
Petersburg (no change from last week)
Portsmouth (ranked low last week)
Prince Edward (ranked medium last week)
Prince George (ranked medium last week)
Richmond (ranked medium last week)
Rockbridge (ranked low last week)
Smyth (ranked low last week)
Staunton (ranked low last week)
Suffolk (ranked low last week)
Virginia Beach (ranked low last week)
Washington (ranked low last week)
Waynesboro (ranked low 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
- 75 Virginia localities this week; up from 63 localities last week
Accomack (no change from last week)
Albemarle (no change from last week)
Alexandria (no change from last week)
Alleghany (ranked low last week)
Amelia (no change from last week)
Appomattox (ranked high last week)
Arlington (no change from last week)
Augusta (no change from last week)
Bedford (no change from last week)
Botetourt (no change from last week)
Bristol (ranked low last week)
Buckingham (no change from last week)
Charles City (no change from last week)
Charlotte (no change from last week)
Clarke (ranked low last week)
Craig (no change from last week)
Culpeper (no change from last week)
Cumberland (no change from last week)
Danville (ranked low last week)
Dickenson (ranked high hast 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)
Fluvanna (no change from last week)
Franklin City (no change from last week)
Franklin County (no change from last week)
Gloucester (no change from last week)
Grayson (no change from last week)
Greene (no change from last week)
Greensville (ranked low last week)
Hampton (no change from last week)
Henry (ranked low last week)
Highland (ranked low last week)
Hopewell (ranked high last week)
Isle of Wight (ranked low last week)
James City (no change from last week)
King and Queen (no change from last week)
King William (no change from last week)
Lancaster (no change from last week)
Lexington (no change from last week)
Loudoun (no change from last week)
Louisa (no change from last week)
Lynchburg (no change from last week)
Madison (no change from last week)
Manassas (ranked low last week)
Martinsville (ranked low last week)
Mathews (ranked low last week)
Middlesex (no change from last week)
Nelson (no change from last week)
New Kent (no change from last week)
Newport News (no change from last week)
Norfolk (ranked low last week)
Northampton (ranked low last week)
Northumberland (no change from last week)
Norton (ranked high last week)
Nottoway (no change from last week)
Orange (no change from last week)
Powhatan (no change from last week)
Prince William (ranked low last week)
Rappahannock (no change from last week)
Richmond County (no change from last week)
Roanoke City (ranked high last week)
Roanoke County (no change from last week)
Russell (ranked low last week)
Salem (ranked high last week)
Scott (ranked low last week)
Southampton (ranked low last week)
Stafford (no change from last week)
Surry (no change from last week)
Sussex (no change from last week)
Westmoreland (no change from last week)
Wise (ranked high last week)
Wythe (ranked low 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 53 last week
Bath (no change from last week)
Bland (no change from last week)
Brunswick (no change from last week)
Buchanan (no change from last week)
Caroline (ranked medium last week)
Covington (ranked medium last week)
Emporia (no change from last week)
Fairfax City (no change from last week)
Fauquier (no change from last week)
Frederick (no change from last week)
Fredericksburg (no change from last week)
Giles (no change from last week)
Harrisonburg (no change from last week)
King George (ranked medium last week)
Lee (ranked medium last week)
Manassas Park (ranked medium last week)
Montgomery (no change from 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)
Pulaski (no change from last week)
Radford (no change from last week)
Rockingham (no change from last week)
Shenandoah (no change from last week)
Spotsylvania (no change from last week)
Tazewell (no change from last week)
Warren (ranked medium last week)
Williamsburg (no change from last week)
Winchester (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 Medium
Amherst High
Appomattox Medium
Arlington Medium
Augusta Medium
Bath Low
Bedford Medium
Bland Low
Botetourt Medium
Bristol Medium
Brunswick Low
Buchanan Low
Buckingham Medium
Buena Vista High
Campbell High
Caroline Low
Carroll High
Charles City Medium
Charlotte Medium
Charlottesville High
Chesapeake High
Chesterfield High
Clarke Medium
Colonial Heights High
Covington Low
Craig Medium
Culpeper Medium
Cumberland Medium
Danville Medium
Dickenson Medium
Dinwiddie High
Emporia Low
Essex Medium
Fairfax City Low
Fairfax County Medium
Falls Church Medium
Fauquier Low
Floyd Medium
Fluvanna Medium
Franklin City Medium
Franklin County Medium
Frederick Low
Fredericksburg Low
Galax High
Giles Low
Gloucester Medium
Goochland High
Grayson Medium
Greene Medium
Greensville Medium
Halifax High
Hampton Medium
Hanover High
Harrisonburg Low
Henrico High
Henry Medium
Highland Medium
Hopewell Medium
Isle of Wight Medium
James City Medium
King and Queen Medium
King George Low
King William Medium
Lancaster Medium
Lee Low
Lexington Medium
Loudoun Medium
Louisa Medium
Lunenburg High
Lynchburg Medium
Madison Medium
Manassas Medium
Manassas Park Low
Martinsville Medium
Mathews Medium
Mecklenburg High
Middlesex Medium
Montgomery Low
Nelson Medium
New Kent Medium
Newport News Medium
Norfolk Medium
Northampton Medium
Northumberland Medium
Norton Medium
Nottoway Medium
Orange Medium
Page Low
Patrick Low
Petersburg High
Pittsylvania Low
Poquoson Low
Portsmouth High
Powhatan Medium
Prince Edward High
Prince George High
Prince William Medium
Pulaski Low
Radford Low
Rappahannock Medium
Richmond City High
Richmond County Medium
Roanoke City Medium
Roanoke County Medium
Rockbridge High
Rockingham Low
Russell Medium
Salem Medium
Scott Medium
Shenandoah Low
Smyth High
Southampton Medium
Spotsylvania Low
Stafford Medium
Staunton High
Suffolk High
Surry Medium
Sussex Medium
Tazewell Low
Virginia Beach High
Warren Low
Washington High
Waynesboro High
Westmoreland Medium
Williamsburg Low
Winchester Low
Wise Medium
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.