New CDC re-masking guidelines say several areas of central Virginia should bring back masks

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CHARLOTTESVILLE, Virginia (WVIR) – Maybe it’s time for some of us in Central Virginia to put on a cover-up.

New CDC guidelines say some counties in our viewing area are reaching the threshold to put back those face covers.

This referral comes as cases increase virtually across the country, including in the Charlottesville area.

While there is no indoor mask warrant in Virginia yet, the CDC says there should be.

Some counties in the BRHD are eligible for indoor masking, per the CDC guideline.

Charlottesville and Albemarle County are not there at this time, but as you can see the 7-day moving average is heading in the wrong direction district-wide.@ NBC29 pic.twitter.com/L8eS6n0bxz

– Max Marcilla (@MaxJMarcilla) July 27, 2021

The CDC has released this map of the country, which shows how your city or county is doing with regard to the transmission of COVID-19. If your area is orange or red, you should need masks inside.

In the Central Virginia community, as of the July 27 update, these are the following locations in the:

Blue (low transmission):

Yellow (moderate transmission):

Albemarle County
Augusta County
City of Charlottesville
Fluvanna County
Madison County
City of Staunton

Orange (high transmission):

Red (high transmission):

Greene County
Orange County
City of Waynesboro

“The potential for this to be a problem is much, much lower in areas with low disease,” CDC director Rochelle Walensky said.

But the Virginia Department of Health is yet to make a hiding decision.

In a statement, the Blue Ridge Health District said, “The Virginia Department of Health will analyze the CDC guidelines now that they have been released. Virginia’s approach to COVID-19 has always been driven by science, and we continue to stress that the only way out of this pandemic is through vaccination. “

Blue Ridge Health District spokesperson Jason Elliott said in an interview with NBC29 last week that “it is extremely important – probably the most important – to get vaccinated now more than ever before.”

It is the vaccination that Walensky says will prevent his greatest fear.

“What worries us in terms of public health and science is the virus and (by how many) potential mutations we are away from a highly transmissible virus that has the potential to escape our vaccines in terms of protection from serious illness and death, “she said.

Walensky says that is not the case now and that the vaccines are very effective. But she also says that this orientation makes sense because of the more transferable Delta variant.

“On rare occasions, some vaccinated people infected with Delta variants after vaccination can be contagious and transmit the virus to others,” she said. “This new science is disturbing and unfortunately deserves an update of our recommendation.”

RELATED: New CDC Guidelines Call For Masks In K-12 Schools

The CDC also says all schools should have universal masking, which public schools in Albemarle County are already planning to do, and the Charlottesville School Board could vote to do so in early August.

In the meantime, there are many ways for you to get vaccinated in our community. Here are a few :

Find COVID-19 vaccines on Vaccines.gov

UVA Health COVID vaccination clinic

Blue Ridge Health District Immunization Planner

Call the BRHD COVID-19 hotline at 434-972-6261

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