RICHMOND, Va. — Universal masking is recommended for 52 localities in Virginia while most of Metro Richmond continues to be ranked as medium, 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 dropped to 19.1%, new cases were up down nearly 22% 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 18.8% as of Sept. 7 and 83.8% 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. 8 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 19.1%; new cases down 22% this week
Scroll down for a complete alphabetized list city/county-by-county breakdown of localities in Virginia
Fifty-two localities in Virginia rank as high where masking indoors is recommended by the CDC. That includes Caroline, Charles City, Colonial Heights, Dinwiddie, Goochland, Hopewell, King William, Nottoway, Orange, Prince Edward and Richmond County.
Forty-nine localities in the Commonwealth now rank as medium, including Amelia, Buckingham, Chesterfield, Cumberland, Greene, Hanover, Henrico, King & Queen, King George, Lancaster, Louisa, Lunenburg, Middlesex, New Kent, Northumberland, Petersburg, Powhatan, Prince George and the City of Richmond.
Thirty-two 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
- 52 Virginia localities this week; down from 58 localities last week
Bedford (no change from last week)
Bland (no change from last week)
Botetourt (no change from last week)
Bristol (no change from last week)
Buena Vista (no change from last week)
Caroline (ranked medium last week)
Carroll (no change from last week)
Charles City (no change from last week)
Charlotte (no change from last week)
Charlottesville (no change from last week)
Colonial Heights (ranked medium last week)
Culpeper (ranked medium last week)
Dickenson (no change from last week)
Dinwiddie (no change from last week)
Essex (ranked medium last week)
Fredericksburg (ranked low last week)
Galax (no change from last week)
Giles (no change from last week)
Goochland (no change from last week)
Grayson (no change from last week)
Harrisonburg (ranked medium last week)
Hopewell (ranked medium last week)
King William (no change from last week)
Lee (no change from last week)
Lexington (ranked medium last week)
Lynchburg (no change from last week)
Madison (ranked medium last week)
Montgomery (no change from last week)
Norton (no change from last week)
Nottoway (no change from last week)
Orange (no change from last week)
Page (ranked medium last week)
Prince Edward (no change from last week)
Pulaski (no change from last week)
Radford (no change from last week)
Richmond County (ranked medium last week)
Roanoke City (no change from last week)
Roanoke County (no change from last week)
Rockbridge (no change from last week)
Rockingham (ranked medium last week)
Russell (no change from last week)
Salem (ranked medium last week)
Scott (no change from last week)
Shenandoah (no change from last week)
Smyth (no change from last week)
Staunton (no change from last week)
Tazewell (no change from last week)
Washington (no change from last week)
Waynesboro (no change from last week)
Winchester (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
- 49 Virginia localities this week; down from 50 last week
Albemarle (no change from last week)
Alleghany (no change from last week)
Amelia (ranked high last week)
Amherst (ranked high last week)
Appomattox (no change from last week)
Augusta (no change from last week)
Bath (no change from last week)
Buchanan (ranked high last week)
Buckingham (no change from last week)
Campbell (ranked high last week)
Chesterfield (no change from last week)
Clarke (no change from last week)
Covington (no change from last week)
Craig (no change from last week)
Cumberland (ranked high last week)
Danville (no change from last week)
Floyd (ranked high last week)
Fluvanna (ranked high last week)
Franklin County (ranked high last week)
Frederick (ranked high last week)
Greene (no change from last week)
Halifax (ranked high last week)
Hanover (no change from last week)
Henrico (no change from last week)
Henry (no change from last week)
Highland (ranked high last week)
King and Queen (no change from last week)
King George (no change from last week)
Lancaster (no change from last week)
Louisa (ranked high last week)
Lunenburg (ranked high last week)
Manassas Park (no change from last week)
Mecklenburg (ranked high last week)
Middlesex (ranked high last week)
Nelson (no change from last week)
New Kent (no change from last week)
Northumberland (no change from last week)
Petersburg (no change from last week)
Pittsylvania (no change from last week)
Powhatan (no change from last week)
Prince George (ranked high last week)
Rappahannock (ranked high last week)
Richmond City (no change from last week)
Spotsylvania (no change from last week)
Stafford (no change from last week)
Surry (no change from last week)
Sussex (no change from last week)
Warren (ranked high last week)
Westmoreland (no change from last week)
Low Community Level
- Stay up to date with COVID-19 vaccines
- Get tested if you have symptoms
- 32 Virginia localities this week; up from 25 last week
Accomack (no change from last week)
Alexandria (no change from last week)
Arlington (no change from last week)
Brunswick (ranked medium last week)
Chesapeake (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)
Franklin City (no change from last week)
Gloucester (no change from last week)
Greensville (ranked high last week)
Hampton (no change from last week)
Isle of Wight (no change from last week)
James City (no change from last week)
Loudoun (no change from last week)
Manassas (ranked medium last week)
Martinsville (ranked medium last week)
Mathews (ranked medium last week)
Newport News (no change from last week)
Norfolk (no change from last week)
Northampton (ranked medium last week)
Patrick (ranked medium last week)
Poquoson (no change from last week)
Portsmouth (no change from last week)
Prince William (no change from last week)
Southampton (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 Medium
Alexandria Low
Alleghany Medium
Amelia Medium
Amherst Medium
Appomattox Medium
Arlington Low
Augusta Medium
Bath Medium
Bedford High
Bland High
Botetourt High
Bristol High
Brunswick Low
Buchanan Medium
Buckingham Medium
Buena Vista High
Campbell Medium
Caroline High
Carroll High
Charles City High
Charlotte High
Charlottesville High
Chesapeake Low
Chesterfield Medium
Clarke Medium
Colonial Heights High
Covington Medium
Craig Medium
Culpeper High
Cumberland Medium
Danville Medium
Dickenson High
Dinwiddie High
Emporia Low
Essex High
Fairfax City Low
Fairfax County Low
Falls Church Low
Fauquier Low
Floyd Medium
Fluvanna Medium
Franklin City Low
Franklin County Medium
Frederick Medium
Fredericksburg High
Galax High
Giles High
Gloucester Low
Goochland High
Grayson High
Greene Medium
Greensville Low
Halifax Medium
Hampton Low
Hanover Medium
Harrisonburg High
Henrico Medium
Henry Medium
Highland Medium
Hopewell High
Isle of Wight Low
James City Low
King and Queen Medium
King George Medium
King William High
Lancaster Medium
Lee High
Lexington High
Loudoun Low
Louisa Medium
Lunenburg Medium
Lynchburg High
Madison High
Manassas Low
Manassas Park Medium
Martinsville Low
Mathews Low
Mecklenburg Medium
Middlesex Medium
Montgomery High
Nelson Medium
New Kent Medium
Newport News Low
Norfolk Low
Northampton Low
Northumberland Medium
Norton High
Nottoway High
Orange High
Page High
Patrick Low
Petersburg Medium
Pittsylvania Medium
Poquoson Low
Portsmouth Low
Powhatan Medium
Prince Edward High
Prince George Medium
Prince William Low
Pulaski High
Radford High
Rappahannock Medium
Richmond City Medium
Richmond County High
Roanoke City High
Roanoke County High
Rockbridge High
Rockingham High
Russell High
Salem High
Scott High
Shenandoah High
Smyth High
Southampton Low
Spotsylvania Medium
Stafford Medium
Staunton High
Suffolk Low
Surry Medium
Sussex Medium
Tazewell High
Virginia Beach Low
Warren Medium
Washington High
Waynesboro High
Westmoreland Medium
Williamsburg Low
Winchester High
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.