Bill Gates: America needs 6-10 weeks of extreme shutdown for coronavirus

By Our Reporter

Billionaire Bill Gates recommended the U.S.needs six to 10 weeks of “extreme shutdown” of regular life to tame the COVID-19 pandemic.

His view expressed in an interview with TED contradicted President Donald Trump’s.

Trump wanted the U.S.loosen restrictions by Easter Sunday, April 12. Healthy people would return to work, while people who are sick would remain isolated.

Gates slammed Trump’s view as irresponsible.

He said: “It’s very irresponsible for somebody to suggest we can have the best of both world.

“What we need is an extreme shutdown so that in six to 10 weeks, if things go well, then you can start opening back up.”

Gates noted that while isolation in populated areas — along with widespread testing — is difficult and “disastrous” for the economy, “the sooner you do it in a tough way, the sooner you can undo it.”

The United States surpassed China on Thursday as the world’s worst hit country by the virus.

It now has 82,457 confirmed cases.

In contrast, China has 81,285 and Italy 80,598.

*Read the original by Yahoo Finance