Lockdowns Could Last Until 2022, Predicts Bill Gates

• In an interview with CNN’S Jake Tapper, Bill Gates said he thinks the lockdowns could last into 2022.
• He also predicted that the next four to six months “could be the worst of the epidemic.”
• While some experts claim that the virus could claim an additional 200,000 lives in the United States, Gates believes a large percentage of these deaths “could be avoided” if people continue to wear masks and observe social distancing.

Microsoft co-founder and philanthropist Bill Gates was recently interviewed by CNN host Jake Tapper regarding his thoughts about the current pandemic. According to the tech mogul, lockdowns could continue into 2022 and restaurants may have to shut down in the next 6 months.

As the United States brace for the wide availability of the Covid-19 vaccine, Gates said that the next 4 to 6 months “could be the worst of the epidemic.”

Forecasts tell us that the virus could still claim more than 200,000 lives but Gates reminded we could “avoid a large percentage of those deaths” if people follow the rules “in terms of wearing masks and not mixing.”

Asked by Tapper about when he thinks life will finally return to normal, “no masks, no social distancing, no other protective measures necessary,” Gates had this to say:

“Certainly, by the summer we will be way closer to normal than we are now – but even through early 2022, unless we help other countries get rid of this disease and we get high vaccinations rates in our country, the risk of reintroduction will be there.”

You can watch the full interview here:

It can be remembered that in 2015, Gates gave a TED Talk about how we’re not ready for the next outbreak.

Gates predicted back then:

“If anything kills over 10 million people in the next few decades, it’s most likely to be a highly infectious virus rather than a war. Not missiles, but microbes.

“Now, part of the reason for this is that we’ve invested a huge amount in nuclear deterrents. But we’ve actually invested very little in a system to stop an epidemic.

“We’re not ready for the next epidemic.”