RICHMOND, Va. — While universal masking is now recommended for 58 localities in Virginia, most of Metro Richmond now ranks as medium for the first time in several months, 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 21.5%, new cases were up just over 1% and 82.5% 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 6.7% as of Aug. 24 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. 1 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 21.5%; new cases up 1% last week
Scroll down for a complete alphabetized list city/county-by-county breakdown of localities in Virginia
Fifty-eight localities in Virginia rank as high where masking indoors is recommended by the CDC. That includes Amelia, Charles City, Cumberland, Dinwiddie, Goochland, Greensville, King William, Louisa, Lunenburg, Middlesex, Nottoway, Orange, Prince Edward and Prince George.
Fifty localities in the Commonwealth now rank as medium, including Buckingham, Caroline, Chesterfield, Colonial Heights, Emporia, Essex, Goochland, Hanover, Henrico, King & Queen, Lancaster, New Kent, Northumberland, Petersburg, Powhatan, Richmond County and the City of Richmond.
Twenty-five 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
- 58 Virginia localities this week; down from 71 localities last week
Amelia (no change from last week)
Amherst (ranked medium 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)
Buchanan (ranked medium last week)
Buena Vista (no change from last week)
Campbell (no change from last week)
Carroll (no change from last week)
Charles City (no change from last week)
Charlotte (no change from last week)
Charlottesville (ranked medium last week)
Cumberland (ranked medium last week)
Dickenson (no change from last week)
Dinwiddie (no change from last week)
Floyd (no change from last week)
Fluvanna (no change from last week)
Franklin County (no change from last week)
Frederick (no change from last week)
Galax (no change from last week)
Giles (no change from last week)
Goochland (ranked medium last week)
Grayson (no change from last week)
Greensville (ranked medium last week)
Halifax (no change from last week)
Highland (ranked medium last week)
King William (no change from last week)
Lee (no change from last week)
Louisa (no change from last week)
Lunenburg (no change from last week)
Lynchburg (ranked medium last week)
Mecklenburg (no change from last week)
Middlesex (ranked medium last week)
Montgomery (ranked high last week)
Norton (no change from last week)
Nottoway (no change from last week)
Orange (no change from last week)
Prince Edward (no change from last week)
Prince George (no change from last week)
Pulaski (no change from last week)
Radford (no change from last week)
Rappahannock (no change from last week)
Roanoke City (no change from last week)
Roanoke County (no change from last week)
Rockbridge (no change from last week)
Russell (no change from 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)
Warren (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
- 50 Virginia localities this week; up from 38 last week
Albemarle (no change from last week)
Alleghany (no change from last week)
Appomattox (ranked high last week)
Augusta (ranked high last week)
Bath (ranked low last week)
Brunswick (no change from last week)
Buckingham (no change from last week)
Caroline (ranked high last week)
Chesterfield (no change from last week)
Clarke (no change from last week)
Colonial Heights (no change from last week)
Covington (no change from last week)
Craig (ranked high last week)
Culpeper (no change from last week)
Danville (no change from last week)
Emporia (ranked high last week)
Essex (no change from last week)
Greene (ranked high last week)
Hanover (no change from last week)
Harrisonburg (no change from last week)
Henrico (no change from last week)
Henry (no change from last week)
Hopewell (ranked high last week)
King and Queen (ranked high last week)
King George (ranked high last week)
Lancaster (no change from last week)
Lexington (no change from last week)
Madison (ranked high last week)
Manassas (ranked low last week)
Manassas Park (ranked low last week)
Martinsville (no change from last week)
Mathews (no change from last week)
Nelson (ranked high last week)
New Kent (no change from last week)
Northampton (no change from last week)
Northumberland (no change from last week)
Page (no change from last week)
Patrick (no change from last week)
Petersburg (ranked high last week)
Pittsylvania (no change from last week)
Powhatan (no change from last week)
Richmond City (ranked high last week)
Richmond County (ranked high last week)
Rockingham (ranked high last week)
Salem (ranked high last week)
Spotsylvania (ranked high last week)
Stafford (ranked high last week)
Surry (ranked high last week)
Sussex (ranked high last week)
Westmoreland (ranked high last week)
Low Community Level
- Stay up to date with COVID-19 vaccines
- Get tested if you have symptoms
- 25 Virginia localities this week; up from 24 last week
Accomack (no change from last week)
Alexandria (no change from last week)
Arlington (no change from last week)
Chesapeake (no change from last week)
Fairfax City (no change from last week)
Fairfax County (no change from last week)
Falls Church (ranked medium last week)
Fauquier (no change from last week)
Franklin City (ranked medium last week)
Fredericksburg (ranked high last week)
Gloucester (no change from last week)
Hampton (no change from last week)
Isle of Wight (no change from last week)
James City (ranked medium last week)
Loudoun (no change from last week)
Newport News (no change from last week)
Norfolk (no change from 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: Coming Soon — 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 High
Amherst High
Appomattox Medium
Arlington Low
Augusta Medium
Bath Medium
Bedford High
Bland High
Botetourt High
Bristol High
Brunswick Medium
Buchanan High
Buckingham Medium
Buena Vista High
Campbell High
Caroline Medium
Carroll High
Charles City High
Charlotte High
Charlottesville High
Chesapeake Low
Chesterfield Medium
Clarke Medium
Colonial Heights Medium
Covington Medium
Craig Medium
Culpeper Medium
Cumberland High
Danville Medium
Dickenson High
Dinwiddie High
Emporia Medium
Essex Medium
Fairfax City Low
Fairfax County Low
Falls Church Low
Fauquier Low
Floyd High
Fluvanna High
Franklin City Low
Franklin County High
Frederick High
Fredericksburg Low
Galax High
Giles High
Gloucester Low
Goochland High
Grayson High
Greene Medium
Greensville High
Halifax High
Hampton Low
Hanover Medium
Harrisonburg Medium
Henrico Medium
Henry Medium
Highland High
Hopewell Medium
Isle of Wight Low
James City Low
King and Queen Medium
King George Medium
King William High
Lancaster Medium
Lee High
Lexington Medium
Loudoun Low
Louisa High
Lunenburg High
Lynchburg High
Madison Medium
Manassas Medium
Manassas Park Medium
Martinsville Medium
Mathews Medium
Mecklenburg High
Middlesex High
Montgomery High
Nelson Medium
New Kent Medium
Newport News Low
Norfolk Low
Northampton Medium
Northumberland Medium
Norton High
Nottoway High
Orange High
Page Medium
Patrick Medium
Petersburg Medium
Pittsylvania Medium
Poquoson Low
Portsmouth Low
Powhatan Medium
Prince Edward High
Prince George High
Prince William Low
Pulaski High
Radford High
Rappahannock High
Richmond City Medium
Richmond County Medium
Roanoke City High
Roanoke County High
Rockbridge High
Rockingham Medium
Russell High
Salem Medium
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 High
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.