RICHMOND, Va. — Masking is now recommended for 33 localities in Virginia and that continues to include some localities in Metro Richmond, according to this week's update from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
The update comes as 73.6% of Virginia's population is fully vaccinated, according to the Virginia Department of Health. The 7-day moving average for COVID cases in the U.S. decreased 2.9% as of Dec. 14 and 85.3% 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, Dec. 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: Nearly 900 COVID-19 patients discharged last week; Virginia hospitalizations up 24% last week
Scroll down for a complete alphabetized list city/county-by-county breakdown of localities in Virginia
Thirty-three localities — including Colonial Heights, Dinwiddie, Essex, Henrico, Hopewell, Northumberland, Petersburg, Prince Edward, Prince George and Richmond County in Central Virginia — rank as high where masking indoors is recommended by the CDC. That is up from 19 localities that ranked as high last week.
Forty-nine localities — including Amelia, Caroline, Charles City, Chesterfield, Cumberland, Goochland, Hanover, King and Queen, King William, Lancaster, Middlesex, New Kent, Powhatan and Richmond City in Central Virginia — rank as medium. Sixty-two localities ranked as medium last week.
The remaining 51 localities in the Commonwealth rank as low. That is down from the 52 localities that ranked as low last week.
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
- 33 Virginia localities this week; up from 19 localities last week
Accomack (ranked medium last week)
Buena Vista (ranked low last week)
Carroll (ranked medium last week)
Charlotte (ranked medium last week)
Clarke (ranked medium last week)
Colonial Heights (no change from last week)
Dickenson (ranked medium last week)
Dinwiddie (no change from last week)
Essex (ranked medium last week)
Galax (ranked medium last week)
Giles (no change from last week)
Grayson (ranked medium last week)
Halifax (no change from last week)
Henrico (no change from last week)
Hopewell (no change from last week)
King George (ranked medium last week)
Lee (ranked medium last week)
Lexington (ranked low last week)
Lunenburg (ranked medium last week)
Mecklenburg (ranked medium last week)
Northumberland (ranked medium last week)
Norton (no change from last week)
Petersburg (no change from last week)
Prince Edward (ranked medium last week)
Prince George (no change from last week)
Pulaski (no change from last week)
Radford (ranked medium last week)
Richmond County (ranked medium last week)
Surry (no change from last week)
Sussex (no change from last week)
Westmoreland (ranked medium last week)
Wise (ranked medium last week)
Wythe (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 62 last week
Alexandria (no change from last week)
Alleghany (ranked low last week)
Amelia (no change from last week)
Amherst (ranked high last week)
Arlington (ranked low last week)
Augusta (ranked low last week)
Bland (ranked low last week)
Botetourt (ranked high last week)
Buchanan (ranked low last week)
Caroline (ranked low last week)
Charles City (no change from last week)
Chesterfield (no change from last week)
Cumberland (no change from last week)
Danville (no change from last week)
Fairfax City (ranked low last week)
Fairfax County (ranked low last week)
Falls Church (no change from last week)
Frederick (no change from last week)
Fredericksburg (ranked low last week)
Goochland (no change from last week)
Hampton (ranked low last week)
Hanover (no change from last week)
Harrisonburg (no change from last week)
Highland (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)
Loudoun (ranked low last week)
Middlesex (no change from last week)
Montgomery (no change from last week)
New Kent (no change from last week)
Northampton (ranked low last week)
Nottoway (no change from last week)
Page (no change from last week)
Pittsylvania (no change from last week)
Powhatan (no change from last week)
Richmond City (no change from last week)
Roanoke County (no change from last week)
Rockbridge (no change from last week)
Rockingham (no change from last week)
Shenandoah (no change from last week)
Spotsylvania (ranked low last week)
Stafford (ranked low last week)
Staunton (no change from last week)
Tazewell (ranked low last week)
Warren (ranked high last week)
Waynesboro (no change from last week)
Winchester (no change from last week)
Low Community Level
- Stay up to date with COVID-19 vaccines
- Get tested if you have symptoms
- 51 Virginia localities this week; down from 52 last week
Albemarle (no change from last week)
Appomattox (ranked medium last week)
Bath (no change from last week)
Bedford (ranked high last week)
Bristol (ranked medium last week)
Brunswick (no change from last week)
Buckingham (no change from last week)
Campbell (ranked high last week)
Charlottesville (no change from last week)
Chesapeake (no change from last week)
Covington (ranked medium last week)
Craig (ranked medium last week)
Culpeper (no change from last week)
Emporia (no change from last week)
Fauquier (no change from last week)
Floyd (ranked medium 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)
Greene (no change from last week)
Greensville (no change from last week)
Henry (no change from last week)
Isle of Wight (no change from last week)
Louisa (no change from last week)
Lynchburg (ranked medium last week)
Madison (ranked medium last week)
Manassas (no change from last week)
Manassas Park (no change from last week)
Martinsville (ranked medium last week)
Mathews (no change from last week)
Nelson (no change from last week)
Newport News (no change from last week)
Norfolk (no change from last week)
Orange (no change from 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)
Rappahannock (no change from last week)
Roanoke City (ranked medium last week)
Russell (ranked medium last week)
Salem (ranked high last week)
Scott (ranked medium last week)
Smyth (ranked medium last week)
Southampton (no change from last week)
Suffolk (no change from last week)
Virginia Beach (no change from last week)
Washington (ranked high last week)
Williamsburg (no change from last week)
York (no change from last week)
Full Virginia City/County-by-County Breakdown
Accomack High
Albemarle Low
Alexandria Medium
Alleghany Medium
Amelia Medium
Amherst Medium
Appomattox Low
Arlington Medium
Augusta Medium
Bath Low
Bedford Low
Bland Medium
Botetourt Medium
Bristol Low
Brunswick Low
Buchanan Medium
Buckingham Low
Buena Vista High
Campbell Low
Caroline Medium
Carroll High
Charles City Medium
Charlotte High
Charlottesville Low
Chesapeake Low
Chesterfield Medium
Clarke High
Colonial Heights High
Covington Low
Craig Low
Culpeper Low
Cumberland Medium
Danville Medium
Dickenson High
Dinwiddie High
Emporia Low
Essex High
Fairfax City Medium
Fairfax County Medium
Falls Church Medium
Fauquier Low
Floyd Low
Fluvanna Low
Franklin City Low
Franklin County Low
Frederick Medium
Fredericksburg Medium
Galax High
Giles High
Gloucester Low
Goochland Medium
Grayson High
Greene Low
Greensville Low
Halifax High
Hampton Medium
Hanover Medium
Harrisonburg Medium
Henrico High
Henry Low
Highland Medium
Hopewell High
Isle of Wight Low
James City Medium
King and Queen Medium
King George High
King William Medium
Lancaster Medium
Lee High
Lexington High
Loudoun Medium
Louisa Low
Lunenburg High
Lynchburg Low
Madison Low
Manassas Low
Manassas Park Low
Martinsville Low
Mathews Low
Mecklenburg High
Middlesex Medium
Montgomery Medium
Nelson Low
New Kent Medium
Newport News Low
Norfolk Low
Northampton Medium
Northumberland High
Norton High
Nottoway Medium
Orange Low
Page Medium
Patrick Low
Petersburg High
Pittsylvania Medium
Poquoson Low
Portsmouth Low
Powhatan Medium
Prince Edward High
Prince George High
Prince William Low
Pulaski High
Radford High
Rappahannock Low
Richmond City Medium
Richmond County High
Roanoke City Low
Roanoke County Medium
Rockbridge Medium
Rockingham Medium
Russell Low
Salem Low
Scott Low
Shenandoah Medium
Smyth Low
Southampton Low
Spotsylvania Medium
Stafford Medium
Staunton Medium
Suffolk Low
Surry High
Sussex High
Tazewell Medium
Virginia Beach Low
Warren Medium
Washington Low
Waynesboro Medium
Westmoreland High
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.