Mayor: LA Will Never Completely Reopen 'Until We Have A Cure'
LOS ANGELES (CBSLA) - The city of Los Angeles won't fully reopen until there's a vaccine for COVID-19, Mayor Eric Garcetti said Wednesday.
In an interview with ABC News' George Stephanopoulos on "Good Morning America", Garcetti attempted to clarify comments made by county public health director Barbara Ferrer that initially suggested the coronavirus lockdown would continue for another three months.
Ferrer and other county officials Tuesday appeared to back off those remarks, saying residents can expect to remain under some type of "Safer At Home" restrictions well into the summer barring any major change in the fight against the coronavirus.
But on Wednesday, Garcetti urged residents not to "overreact" to the comments, adding that L.A. would "never be completely open" until there is a vaccine.
"I think we have to all recognize that we're not moving beyond COVID-19," Garcetti said. "We're learning to live with it."
The mayor pointed to steps such as county beaches reopening for active use only and retailers expanding to curbside and delivery services.
"We've never been fully closed, we'll never be completely open until we have cure," he added.
While there are at least eight vaccine candidates that have progressed to the clinical development stage, federal health officials have cautioned any approved vaccine wouldn't be available until early 2021.
