RICHMOND, Va. — Universal masking is now recommended for just 5 localities in Virginia, according to this week's updated COVID Community Levels from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Metro Richmond and Central Virginia continues to be ranked as medium.
The update comes as Virginia's 7-day positivity rate dropped to 11.5%, new cases were up down 16% 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 13.1% as of Sept. 28 and 84.1% 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. 29 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 11.5%; new cases down 16% last week
Scroll down for a complete alphabetized list city/county-by-county breakdown of localities in Virginia
Five localities in Virginia — none in Central Virginia — rank as high where masking indoors is recommended by the CDC.
Forty-nine localities rank as medium. Those include Buckingham, Caroline, Louisa and Orange.
Seventy-nine localities in the Commonwealth rank as low, including Amelia, Brunswick, Caroline, Charles City, Chesterfield, Colonial Heights, Cumberland, Dinwiddie, Emporia, Essex, Goochland, Greensville, Hanover, Henrico, Hopewell, King & Queen, King William, Lancaster, Middlesex, New Kent, Northumberland, Nottoway, Petersburg, Powhatan, Prince Edward, Prince George, Richmond County and the City of Richmond.
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
- 5 Virginia localities this week; down from 11 localities last week
Bland (ranked medium last week)
Dickenson (no change from last week)
Giles (no change from last week)
Norton (no change from last week)
Wise (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
- 49 Virginia localities this week; down from 69 last week
Albemarle (ranked low last week)
Alleghany (no change from last week)
Amherst (no change from last week)
Appomattox (no change from last week)
Bath (no change from last week)
Bedford (no change from last week)
Botetourt (no change from last week)
Bristol (no change from last week)
Buchanan (no change from last week)
Buckingham (ranked low last week)
Campbell (ranked high last week)
Charlottesville (ranked low last week)
Clarke (no change from last week)
Covington (ranked high last week)
Craig (no change from last week)
Culpeper (ranked low last week)
Floyd (no change from last week)
Fluvanna (ranked low last week)
Franklin County (no change from last week)
Frederick (no change from last week)
Galax (ranked low last week)
Greene (ranked low last week)
Halifax (ranked high last week)
Lee (no change from last week)
Louisa (ranked low last week)
Lunenburg (ranked high last week)
Lynchburg (no change from last week)
Madison (ranked low last week)
Mathews (no change from last week)
Mecklenburg (ranked high last week)
Montgomery (no change from last week)
Nelson (ranked low last week)
Orange (ranked low last week)
Pulaski (no change from last week)
Radford (no change from last week)
Rappahannock (ranked low last week)
Roanoke City (no change from last week)
Roanoke County (no change from last week)
Russell (no change from last week)
Salem (no change from last week)
Scott (no change from last week)
Shenandoah (no change from last week)
Smyth (no change from last week)
Staunton (ranked high last week)
Tazewell (ranked high last week)
Warren (no change from last week)
Washington (no change from last week)
Winchester (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
- 79 Virginia localities this week; up from 53 last week
Accomack (no change from last week)
Alexandria (no change from last week)
Amelia (ranked medium last week)
Arlington (no change from last week)
Augusta (ranked medium last week)
Brunswick (no change from last week)
Buena Vista (ranked medium last week)
Caroline (no change from last week)
Carroll (no change from last week)
Charles City (ranked medium last week)
Charlotte (ranked medium last week)
Chesapeake (no change from last week)
Chesterfield (ranked medium last week)
Colonial Heights (ranked medium last week)
Cumberland (ranked medium last week)
Danville (ranked medium last week)
Dinwiddie (ranked medium last week)
Emporia (no change from last week)
Essex (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)
Franklin City (no change from last week)
Fredericksburg (no change from last week)
Gloucester (no change from last week)
Goochland (ranked medium last week)
Grayson (no change from last week)
Greensville (no change from last week)
Hampton (no change from last week)
Hanover (ranked medium last week)
Harrisonburg (ranked medium last week)
Henrico (ranked medium last week)
Henry (no change from last week)
Highland (ranked medium last week)
Hopewell (ranked medium last week)
Isle of Wight (no change from last week)
James City (no change from last week)
King and Queen (ranked medium last week)
King George (no change from last week)
King William (ranked medium last week)
Lancaster (ranked medium last week)
Lexington (ranked medium last week)
Loudoun (no change from last week)
Manassas (no change from last week)
Manassas Park (no change from last week)
Martinsville (no change from last week)
Middlesex (ranked medium last week)
New Kent (ranked medium last week)
Newport News (no change from last week)
Norfolk (no change from last week)
Northampton (no change from last week)
Northumberland (ranked medium last week)
Nottoway (ranked medium last week)
Page (ranked medium last week)
Patrick (no change from last week)
Petersburg (ranked medium last week)
Pittsylvania (no change from last week)
Poquoson (no change from last week)
Portsmouth (no change from last week)
Powhatan (ranked medium last week)
Prince Edward (ranked medium last week)
Prince George (ranked medium last week)
Prince William (no change from last week)
Richmond City (ranked medium last week)
Richmond County (ranked medium last week)
Rockbridge (ranked medium last week)
Rockingham (ranked medium 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)
Surry (ranked medium last week)
Sussex (ranked medium last week)
Virginia Beach (no change from last week)
Waynesboro (ranked medium last week)
Westmoreland (ranked medium 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 Medium
Alexandria Low
Alleghany Medium
Amelia Low
Amherst Medium
Appomattox Medium
Arlington Low
Augusta Low
Bath Medium
Bedford Medium
Bland High
Botetourt Medium
Bristol Medium
Brunswick Low
Buchanan Medium
Buckingham Medium
Buena Vista Low
Campbell Medium
Caroline Low
Carroll Low
Charles City Low
Charlotte Low
Charlottesville Medium
Chesapeake Low
Chesterfield Low
Clarke Medium
Colonial Heights Low
Covington Medium
Craig Medium
Culpeper Medium
Cumberland Low
Danville Low
Dickenson High
Dinwiddie Low
Emporia Low
Essex Low
Fairfax City Low
Fairfax County Low
Falls Church Low
Fauquier Low
Floyd Medium
Fluvanna Medium
Franklin City Low
Franklin County Medium
Frederick Medium
Fredericksburg Low
Galax Medium
Giles High
Gloucester Low
Goochland Low
Grayson Low
Greene Medium
Greensville Low
Halifax Medium
Hampton Low
Hanover Low
Harrisonburg Low
Henrico Low
Henry Low
Highland Low
Hopewell Low
Isle of Wight Low
James City Low
King and Queen Low
King George Low
King William Low
Lancaster Low
Lee Medium
Lexington Low
Loudoun Low
Louisa Medium
Lunenburg Medium
Lynchburg Medium
Madison Medium
Manassas Low
Manassas Park Low
Martinsville Low
Mathews Medium
Mecklenburg Medium
Middlesex Low
Montgomery Medium
Nelson Medium
New Kent Low
Newport News Low
Norfolk Low
Northampton Low
Northumberland Low
Norton High
Nottoway Low
Orange Medium
Page Low
Patrick Low
Petersburg Low
Pittsylvania Low
Poquoson Low
Portsmouth Low
Powhatan Low
Prince Edward Low
Prince George Low
Prince William Low
Pulaski Medium
Radford Medium
Rappahannock Medium
Richmond City Low
Richmond County Low
Roanoke City Medium
Roanoke County Medium
Rockbridge Low
Rockingham Low
Russell Medium
Salem Medium
Scott Medium
Shenandoah Medium
Smyth Medium
Southampton Low
Spotsylvania Low
Stafford Low
Staunton Medium
Suffolk Low
Surry Low
Sussex Low
Tazewell Medium
Virginia Beach Low
Warren Medium
Washington Medium
Waynesboro Low
Westmoreland Low
Williamsburg Low
Winchester Medium
Wise High
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.