More than 30% of Californians are now at least partially vaccinated against COVID-19 — a hopeful milestone that comes as the state dramatically expands who is eligible to receive the shots.

While still far short of the threshold needed to achieve the kind of herd immunity that can finally put the pandemic in the rearview mirror, officials say getting even to this level of community coverage provides a desperately needed layer of defense as the state seeks to dodge the COVID-19 spikes striking other areas of the country.

“It happens in a split second, it doesn’t hurt, and yet it transforms everything,” Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti said during a news conference Thursday. “It’s like the cloak of protection around you — the melting away of a year of suffering and trauma and pain begins to finally go away.”

To date, providers throughout California have administered more than 18 million vaccine doses.

Read the full story on LATimes.com.