RICHMOND, Va. — Universal masking is recommended for 38 localities in Virginia while most of Metro Richmond continues to be ranked as medium, according to this week's updated COVID Community Levels from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
The update comes as Virginia's 7-day positivity rate dropped to 16.7%, new cases were up down 12% last week and 82.6% 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. decreased 15.9% as of Sept. 14 and 83.9% 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, Sept. 15 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: 7-day positivity rate drops to 16.7%; new cases down 12% last week
Scroll down for a complete alphabetized list city/county-by-county breakdown of localities in Virginia
Thirty-eight localities in Virginia rank as high where masking indoors is recommended by the CDC. That includes Charles City, Dinwiddie, Essex, King William, Middlesex, Nottoway, and Prince Edward.
Fifty-two localities in the Commonwealth now rank as medium, including Amelia, Buckingham, Chesterfield, Colonial Heights, Cumberland, Emporia, Goochland, Greensville, Hanover, Henrico, Hopewell, King & Queen, Lancaster, New Kent, Northumberland, Petersburg, Powhatan, Prince George, Richmond County and the City of Richmond.
Forty-three localities now rank as low.
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
- 38 Virginia localities this week; down from 52 localities last week
Alleghany (ranked medium last week)
Bristol (no change from last week)
Buena Vista (no change from last week)
Campbell (ranked medium last week)
Carroll (no change from last week)
Charles City (no change from last week)
Charlotte (no change from last week)
Covington (ranked medium last week)
Dickenson (no change from last week)
Dinwiddie (no change from last week)
Essex (no change from last week)
Galax (no change from last week)
Giles (no change from last week)
Grayson (no change from last week)
Halifax (ranked medium last week)
Harrisonburg (no change from last week)
Highland (ranked medium last week)
King William (no change from last week)
Lexington (no change from last week)
Lunenburg (no change from last week)
Mecklenburg (ranked medium last week)
Middlesex (ranked medium last week)
Montgomery (no change from last week)
Norton (no change from last week)
Nottoway (no change from last week)
Prince Edward (no change from last week)
Pulaski (no change from last week)
Radford (no change from last week)
Roanoke City (no change from last week)
Russell County (no change from last week)
Salem (no change from last week)
Scott (no change from last week)
Smyth (no change from last week)
Tazewell (no change from last week)
Warren (ranked medium last week)
Washington (no change from last week)
Wise (no change from last week)
Wythe (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
- 52 Virginia localities this week; up from 49 last week
Amelia (no change from last week)
Amherst (no change from last week)
Appomattox (no change from last week)
Augusta (no change from last week)
Bath (no change from last week)
Bedford (ranked high last week)
Bland (ranked high last week)
Botetourt (ranked high last week)
Brunswick (ranked low last week)
Buchanan (no change from last week)
Charlottesville (ranked high last week)
Chesterfield (no change from last week)
Clarke (no change from last week)
Colonial Heights (ranked high last week)
Craig (no change from last week)
Cumberland (no change from last week)
Danville (no change from last week)
Emporia (ranked low last week)
Floyd (no change from last week)
Franklin City (ranked low last week)
Franklin County (no change from last week)
Frederick (no change from last week)
Goochland (ranked high last week)
Greensville (ranked low last week)
Hanover (no change from last week)
Henrico (no change from last week)
Hopewell (ranked high last week)
King and Queen (no change from last week)
Lancaster (no change from last week)
Lee (ranked high last week)
Lynchburg (ranked high last week)
Manassas Park (no change from last week)
Martinsville (ranked low last week)
New Kent (no change from last week)
Northumberland (no change from last week)
Page (ranked high last week)
Patrick (ranked low last week)
Petersburg (no change from last week)
Powhatan (no change from last week)
Prince George (no change from last week)
Richmond City (no change from last week)
Richmond County (ranked high last week)
Roanoke County (ranked high last week)
Rockbridge (ranked high last week)
Rockingham (ranked high last week)
Shenandoah (ranked high last week)
Staunton (ranked high last week)
Surry (no change from last week)
Sussex (no change from last week)
Waynesboro (ranked high last week)
Westmoreland (no change from last week)
Winchester (ranked high last week)
Low Community Level
- Stay up to date with COVID-19 vaccines
- Get tested if you have symptoms
- 43 Virginia localities this week; up from 32 last week
Accomack (no change from last week)
Albemarle (ranked medium last week)
Alexandria (no change from last week)
Arlington (no change from last week)
Buckingham (ranked medium last week)
Caroline (ranked high last week)
Chesapeake (no change from last week)
Culpeper (ranked high last week)
Fairfax City (no change from last week)
Fairfax County (no change from last week)
Falls Church (no change from last week)
Fauquier (no change from last week)
Fluvanna (ranked medium last week)
Fredericksburg (ranked high last week)
Gloucester (no change from last week)
Greene (ranked medium last week)
Hampton (no change from last week)
Henry (ranked medium last week)
Isle of Wight (no change from last week)
James City (no change from last week)
King George (ranked medium last week)
Loudoun (no change from last week)
Louisa (ranked medium last week)
Madison (ranked high last week)
Manassas (no change from last week)
Mathews (no change from last week)
Nelson (ranked medium last week)
Newport News (no change from last week)
Norfolk (no change from last week)
Northampton (no change from last week)
Orange (ranked high last week)
Pittsylvania (ranked medium last week)
Poquoson (no change from last week)
Portsmouth (no change from last week)
Prince William
Rappahannock (ranked medium last week)
Southampton (no change from last week)
Spotsylvania (ranked medium last week)
Stafford (ranked medium last week)
Suffolk (no change from last week)
Virginia Beach (no change from last week)
Williamsburg (no change from last week)
York (no change from last week)
IN-DEPTH: 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 Low
Alleghany High
Amelia Medium
Amherst Medium
Appomattox Medium
Arlington Low
Augusta Medium
Bath Medium
Bedford Medium
Bland Medium
Botetourt Medium
Bristol High
Brunswick Medium
Buchanan Medium
Buckingham Low
Buena Vista High
Campbell High
Caroline Low
Carroll High
Charles High
Charlotte High
Charlottesville Medium
Chesapeake Low
Chesterfield Medium
Clarke Medium
Colonial Heights Medium
Covington High
Craig Medium
Culpeper Low
Cumberland Medium
Danville Medium
Dickenson High
Dinwiddie High
Emporia Medium
Essex High
FairfaxCity Low
Fairfax County Low
Falls Church Low
Fauquier Low
Floyd Medium
Fluvanna Low
Franklin City Medium
Franklin County Medium
Frederick Medium
Fredericksburg Low
Galax High
Giles High
Gloucester Low
Goochland Medium
Grayson High
Greene Low
Greensville Medium
Halifax High
Hampton Low
Hanover Medium
Harrisonburg High
Henrico Medium
Henry Low
Highland High
Hopewell Medium
Isle of Wight Low
James City Low
King and Queen Medium
King George Low
King William High
Lancaster Medium
Lee Medium
Lexington High
Loudoun Low
Louisa Low
Lunenburg High
Lynchburg Medium
Madison Low
Manassas Low
Manassas Park Medium
Martinsville Medium
Mathews Low
Mecklenburg High
Middlesex High
Montgomery High
Nelson Low
New Kent Medium
Newport News Low
Norfolk Low
Northampton Low
Northumberland Medium
Norton High
Nottoway High
Orange Low
Page Medium
Patrick Medium
Petersburg Medium
Pittsylvania Low
Poquoson Low
Portsmouth Low
Powhatan Medium
Prince Edward High
Prince George Medium
Prince William Low
Pulaski High
Radford High
Rappahannock Low
Richmond City Medium
Richmond County Medium
Roanoke City High
Roanoke County Medium
Rockbridge Medium
Rockingham Medium
Russell High
Salem High
Scott High
Shenandoah Medium
Smyth High
Southampton Low
Spotsylvania Low
Stafford Low
Staunton Medium
Suffolk Low
Surry Medium
Sussex Medium
Tazewell High
Virginia Beach Low
Warren High
Washington High
Waynesboro Medium
Westmoreland Medium
Williamsburg Low
Winchester Medium
Wise High
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.