COVID-19 Community Levels

What You Need to Know

  • COVID-19 Community Levels help individuals and communities decide which prevention actions to take based on the latest information. 
  • Each level helps convey how much COVID-19 is impacting your community using data on hospitalizations and cases. 
  • For each level, CDC recommends actions you can take to help protect yourself and others from severe impacts of COVID-19. 

The COVID-19 Community Level and associated metrics presented on our website will be updated weekly, on Friday. For more in depth, county specific COVID information please visit the CDC's website. 

Updated 12/9/22 at 8:20 am

12.9.22 Levels

COVID-19 Prevention Recommendations based on Community Levels

When making decisions about community prevention strategies and individual preventive behaviors in addition to vaccination, people should consider the COVID-19 Community Level in the county. Layered prevention strategies - like staying up to date on vaccines, screening testing, ventilation and wearing masks - can help limit severe disease and reduce potential strain on the health care system. 

COVID Levels - Graphic

COVID Levels Med-High

  • If you are at high risk of getting very sick, wear a well-fitting mask or respirator when indoors in public. 
  • If you have household or social contact with someone at high risk for getting very sick, consider testing to detect infection before contact and consider wearing a mask when indoors with them. 

COVID Levels High

  • Wear a well fitting mask or respirator. 
  • If you are at high risk of getting very sick consider avoiding non-essential indoor activities in public where you could be exposed. 

How CDC Measures the COVID-19 Community Levels

CDC looks at the combination of three metrics — 

  • New COVID-19 cases per 100,000 population in the past 7 days.
  • New COVID-19 admissions per 100,000 population (7-day total).
  • The percent of staffed inpatient beds occupied by COVID-19 patients (7-day average). 

Using these data, the COVID-19 community level is classified as low, medium, or high.

CDC Levels