L.A. Mayor Garcetti delivers COVID-19 briefing as officials urge caution while SoCal emerges from worst of surge

Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti was set to deliver an update on his administration’s response to the coronavirus pandemic at 5:15 p.m. Wednesday.

The briefing comes a L.A. faces a more hopeful yet precarious phase of the pandemic, with vaccines continuing to reach more people and hospitalizations and new infections down slightly from the holiday surge.

But January was the pandemic’s deadliest month yet — for L.A. County, California and the nation alike — and officials warn conditions could easily worsen again if the public fails to remain vigilant.

Meanwhile, the virus is getting more opportunities to mutate as it continues to spread, raising new questions and challenges.

Earlier Wednesday, both Gov. Gavin Newsom and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention signaled students could return to school campuses even if teachers aren’t vaccinated against COVID-19.

Check back for updates on this developing story.