RICHMOND, Va. — Universal masking is now recommended for just 11 localities in Virginia, according to this week's updated COVID Community Levels from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The majority of Metro Richmond and Central Virginia continues to be ranked as medium.
The update comes as Virginia's 7-day positivity rate dropped to 13.1%, new cases were up down 13% last week and 82.7% 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 10.6% as of Sept. 21 and 84% 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. 22 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 13.1%; new cases down 13% last week
Scroll down for a complete alphabetized list city/county-by-county breakdown of localities in Virginia
Eleven localities in Virginia — none in Central Virginia — rank as high where masking indoors is recommended by the CDC.
Sixty-nine localities in the Commonwealth rank as medium, including Amelia, Charles City, Chesterfield, Colonial Heights, Cumberland, Dinwiddie, Essex, Goochland, Hanover, Henrico, Hopewell, King & Queen, King William, Lancaster, Middlesex, New Kent, Northumberland, Petersburg, Powhatan, Prince Edward, Prince George, Richmond County and the City of Richmond.
Fifty-three localities rank as low. Those include Brunswick, Buckingham, Caroline, Emporia, Greene, James City, Louisa and Orange
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
- 11 Virginia localities this week; down from 38 localities last week
Campbell (no change from last week)
Covington (no change from last week)
Dickenson (no change from last week)
Giles (no change from last week)
Halifax (no change from last week)
Lunenburg (no change from last week)
Mecklenburg (no change from last week)
Norton (no change from last week)
Staunton (ranked medium last week)
Tazewell (no change from last week)
Waynesboro (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
- 69 Virginia localities this week; up from 52 last week
Alleghany (ranked high 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 (no change from last week)
Bland (no change from last week)
Botetourt (no change from last week)
Bristol (ranked high last week)
Buchanan (no change from last week)
Buena Vista (ranked high last week)
Charles City (ranked high last week)
Charlotte (ranked high last week)
Chesterfield (no change from last week)
Clarke (no change from last week)
Colonial Heights (no change from last week)
Craig (no change from last week)
Cumberland (no change from last week)
Danville (no change from last week)
Dinwiddie (ranked high last week)
Essex (ranked high last week)
Floyd (no change from last week)
Franklin County (no change from last week)
Frederick (no change from last week)
Goochland (no change from last week)
Hanover (no change from last week)
Harrisonburg (ranked high last week)
Henrico (no change from last week)
Highland (ranked high last week)
Hopewell (no change from last week)
King and Queen (no change from last week)
King William (ranked high last week)
Lancaster (no change from last week)
Lee (no change from last week)
Lexington (ranked high last week)
Lynchburg (no change from last week)
Mathews (ranked low last week)
Middlesex (ranked high last week)
Montgomery (ranked high last week)
New Kent (no change from last week)
Northumberland (no change from last week)
Nottoway (ranked high last week)
Page (no change from last week)
Petersburg (no change from last week)
Powhatan (no change from last week)
Prince Edward (ranked high last week)
Prince George (no change from last week)
Pulaski (ranked high last week)
Radford (ranked high last week)
Richmond City (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)
Rockbridge (no change from last week)
Rockingham (no change from last week)
Russell (ranked high last week)
Salem (ranked high last week)
Scott (ranked high last week)
Shenandoah (no change from last week)
Smyth (ranked high last week)
Surry (no change from last week)
Sussex (no change from last week)
Warren (ranked high last week)
Washington (ranked high last week)
Westmoreland (no change from last week)
Winchester (no change from last week)
Wise (ranked high last week)
Wythe (ranked high last week)
Low Community Level
- Stay up to date with COVID-19 vaccines
- Get tested if you have symptoms
- 53 Virginia localities this week; up from 43 last week
Accomack (no change from last week)
Albemarle (no change from last week)
Alexandria (no change from last week)
Arlington (no change from last week)
Brunswick (ranked medium last week)
Buckingham (no change from last week)
Caroline (no change from last week)
Carroll (ranked high last week)
Charlottesville (ranked medium last week)
Chesapeake (no change from last week)
Culpeper (no change from last week)
Emporia (ranked medium 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 (no change from last week)
Franklin City (ranked medium last week)
Fredericksburg (no change from last week)
Galax (ranked high last week)
Gloucester (no change from last week)
Grayson (ranked high last week)
Greene (no change from last week)
Greensville (ranked medium last week)
Hampton (no change from last week)
Henry (no change from last week)
Isle of Wight (no change from last week)
James City (no change from last week)
King George (no change from last week)
Loudoun (no change from last week)
Louisa (no change from last week)
Madison (no change from last week)
Manassas (no change from last week)
Manassas Park (ranked medium last week)
Martinsville (ranked medium last week)
Nelson (no change from last week)
Newport News (no change from last week)
Norfolk (no change from last week)
Northampton (no change from last week)
Orange (no change from last week)
Patrick (ranked medium last week)
Pittsylvania (no change from last week)
Poquoson (no change from last week)
Portsmouth (no change from last week)
Prince William (no change from last week)
Rappahannock (no change from last week)
Southampton (no change from 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)
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 Medium
Amelia Medium
Amherst Medium
Appomattox Medium
Arlington Low
Augusta Medium
Bath Medium
Bedford Medium
Bland Medium
Botetourt Medium
Bristol Medium
Brunswick Low
Buchanan Medium
Buckingham Low
Buena Vista Medium
Campbell High
Caroline Low
Carroll Low
Charles City Medium
Charlotte Medium
Charlottesville Low
Chesapeake Low
Chesterfield Medium
Clarke Medium
Colonial Heights Medium
Covington High
Craig Medium
Culpeper Low
Cumberland Medium
Danville Medium
Dickenson High
Dinwiddie Medium
Emporia Low
Essex Medium
Fairfax City Low
Fairfax County Low
Falls Church Low
Fauquier Low
Floyd Medium
Fluvanna Low
Franklin City Low
Franklin County Medium
Frederick Medium
Fredericksburg Low
Galax Low
Giles High
Gloucester Low
Goochland Medium
Grayson Low
Greene Low
Greensville Low
Halifax High
Hampton Low
Hanover Medium
Harrisonburg Medium
Henrico Medium
Henry Low
Highland Medium
Hopewell Medium
Isle of Wight Low
James City Low
King and Queen Medium
King George Low
King William Medium
Lancaster Medium
Lee Medium
Lexington Medium
Loudoun Low
Louisa Low
Lunenburg High
Lynchburg Medium
Madison Low
Manassas Low
Manassas Park Low
Martinsville Low
Mathews Medium
Mecklenburg High
Middlesex Medium
Montgomery Medium
Nelson Low
New Kent Medium
Newport News Low
Norfolk Low
Northampton Low
Northumberland Medium
Norton High
Nottoway Medium
Orange Low
Page Medium
Patrick Low
Petersburg Medium
Pittsylvania Low
Poquoson Low
Portsmouth Low
Powhatan Medium
Prince Edward Medium
Prince George Medium
Prince William Low
Pulaski Medium
Radford Medium
Rappahannock Low
Richmond City Medium
Richmond County Medium
Roanoke City Medium
Roanoke County Medium
Rockbridge Medium
Rockingham Medium
Russell Medium
Salem Medium
Scott Medium
Shenandoah Medium
Smyth Medium
Southampton Low
Spotsylvania Low
Stafford Low
Staunton High
Suffolk Low
Surry Medium
Sussex Medium
Tazewell High
Virginia Beach Low
Warren Medium
Washington Medium
Waynesboro High
Westmoreland Medium
Williamsburg Low
Winchester Medium
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.