RICHMOND, Va. — Universal masking is recommended for just one out of 133 localities in the Commonwealth, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Healthy people in those other localities can safely take a break from wearing masks, new data reveal.
The update comes as new cases in Virginia dropped 29% last week and 72.7% of Virginians are fully vaccinated against the virus, according to the Virginia Department of Health. COVID cases in the U.S. continue to drop, down roughly 3% from the prior week, and nearly 81.8% of the country's total population (people 5+) has received at least one vaccine dose, the CDC reported in its weekly update.
The agency released an updated map Thursday, March 31 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.
The majority of Metro Richmond continues to be ranked as low with the exception of Powhatan and Prince George, which are ranked as medium. People in those areas (low, medium) can stop wearing masks — unless they are at high risk for severe illness.
Just one locality — Covington — now ranks as as high where masking indoors is still recommended by the CDC. That is down from the four localities in southwestern Virginia ranked as high last week.
The CDC's new measures focus less on positive test results and more on what’s happening at hospitals.
The agency is still advising that people, including schoolchildren, wear masks where the risk of COVID-19 is high.
Also, the new recommendations do not change the requirement to wear masks on public transportation.
Scroll down for a complete alphabetized list city/county-by-county breakdown of localities in Virginia
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
- 1 Virginia locality this week; down from 4 localities last week
Covington
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
- 10 Virginia localities this week; no change from 10 localities last week
Albemarle
Alleghany
Bath
Campbell
Dickenson (ranked as high last week)
Lee (ranked as high last week)
Norton (ranked as high last week)
Powhatan
Prince George
Wise (ranked as high last week)
Low Community Level
- Stay up to date with COVID-19 vaccines
- Get tested if you have symptoms
- 122 Virginia localities this week; up from 119 localities last week
Accomack
Alexandria
Amelia
Amherst
Appomattox
Arlington
Augusta
Bedford (ranked as medium last week)
Bland
Botetourt
Bristol
Brunswick
Buchanan
Buckingham
Buena Vista
Caroline
Carroll
Charles
Charlotte (ranked as medium last week)
Charlottesville
Chesapeake
Chesterfield
Clarke
Colonial Heights
Craig
Culpeper
Cumberland
Danville
Dinwiddie
Emporia
Essex
Fairfax City
Fairfax County
Falls Church
Fauquier
Floyd
Fluvanna
Franklin City
Franklin COunty
Frederick
Fredericksburg
Galax
Giles
Gloucester
Goochland
Grayson
Greene
Greensville
Halifax
Hampton
Hanover
Harrisonburg
Henrico
Henry (ranked as medium last week)
Highland
Hopewell
Isle of Wight
James
King and Queen
King George
King William
Lancaster
Lexington
Loudoun
Louisa
Lunenburg
Lynchburg
Madison (ranked as medium last week)
Manassas
Manassas Park
Martinsville
Mathews
Mecklenburg
Middlesex
Montgomery
Nelson
New Kent
Newport News
Norfolk
Northampton
Northumberland
Nottoway (ranked as medium last week)
Orange
Page
Patrick (ranked as medium last week)
Petersburg
Pittsylvania
Poquoson
Portsmouth
Prince Edward (ranked as medium last week)
Prince William
Pulaski
Radford
Rappahannock
Richmond City
Richmond County
Roanoke City
Roanoke County
Rockbridge
Rockingham
Russell
Salem
Scott
Shenandoah
Smyth
Southampton (ranked as medium last week)
Spotsylvania
Stafford
Staunton
Suffolk
Surry
Sussex
Tazewell
Virginia Beach
Warren
Washington
Waynesboro
Westmoreland
Williamsburg
Winchester
Wythe
York
RELATED: 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 Low
Appomattox Low
Arlington Low
Augusta Low
Bath Medium
Bedford Low
Bland Low
Botetourt Low
Bristol Low
Brunswick Low
Buchanan Low
Buckingham Low
Buena Vista Low
Campbell Medium
Caroline Low
Carroll Low
Charles Low
Charlotte Low
Charlottesville Low
Chesapeake Low
Chesterfield Low
Clarke Low
Colonial Heights Low
Covington High
Craig Low
Culpeper Low
Cumberland Low
Danville Low
Dickenson Medium
Dinwiddie Low
Emporia Low
Essex Low
Fairfax City Low
Fairfax County Low
Falls Church Low
Fauquier Low
Floyd Low
Fluvanna Low
Franklin City Low
Franklin County Low
Frederick Low
Fredericksburg Low
Galax Low
Giles Low
Gloucester Low
Goochland Low
Grayson Low
Greene Low
Greensville Low
Halifax Low
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 Low
Lunenburg Low
Lynchburg Low
Madison Low
Manassas Low
Manassas Park Low
Martinsville Low
Mathews Low
Mecklenburg Low
Middlesex Low
Montgomery Low
Nelson Low
New Kent Low
Newport News Low
Norfolk Low
Northampton Low
Northumberland Low
Norton Medium
Nottoway Low
Orange Low
Page Low
Patrick Low
Petersburg Low
Pittsylvania Low
Poquoson Low
Portsmouth Low
Powhatan Medium
Prince Edward Low
Prince George Medium
Prince William Low
Pulaski Low
Radford Low
Rappahannock Low
Richmond City Low
Richmond County Low
Roanoke City Low
Roanoke County Low
Rockbridge Low
Rockingham Low
Russell Low
Salem Low
Scott Low
Shenandoah Low
Smyth Low
Southampton Low
Spotsylvania Low
Stafford Low
Staunton Low
Suffolk Low
Surry Low
Sussex Low
Tazewell Low
Virginia Beach Low
Warren Low
Washington Low
Waynesboro Low
Westmoreland Low
Williamsburg Low
Winchester Low
Wise Medium
Wythe Low
York Low
Virginians age 5+ 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).
Depend on CBS 6 News and WTVR.com for the most complete coverage of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Have You Been Fully Vaccinated?
People are considered fully vaccinated:
- 2 weeks after their second dose in a 2-dose series, such as the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines, or
- 2 weeks after a single-dose vaccine, such as Johnson & Johnson’s Janssen vaccine
How to Protect Yourself and Others When You’ve Been Fully Vaccinated
COVID-19 vaccines are effective at protecting you from getting sick. Based on what we know about COVID-19 vaccines, people who have been fully vaccinated can start to do some things that they had stopped doing because of the pandemic.
We’re still learning how vaccines will affect the spread of COVID-19. After you’ve been fully vaccinated against COVID-19, you should keep taking precautions—like wearing a mask, staying 6 feet apart from others, and avoiding crowds and poorly ventilated spaces—in public places until we know more.
These recommendations can help you make decisions about daily activities after you are fully vaccinated. They are not intended for healthcare settings.
Click here for more information from the Virginia Department of Health.