During a CNN Presidential Town Hall on Feb. 16, moderator Anderson Cooper asked Biden when he thought the pandemic would end so that we could get back to our normal lives. Although POTUS was hesitant to share a prediction because he didn’t “want to over-promise anything,” he did offer Cooper his forecast. “As my mother would say, with the grace of God and the goodwill of the neighbors, by next Christmas, I think we’ll be in a very different circumstance, God willing, than we are today,” Biden said. “A year from now, I think that there’ll be significantly fewer people having to be socially distanced [or] having to wear a mask.” Although we may not be fully back to normal, the president noted that things will be looking up by September. “It is highly unlikely that by the beginning of next year’s traditional school year, in September, we are not significantly better off than we are right now,” he added. And to make sure you’re staying safe until then, The CDC Is Warning You Not to Do This Right Before You Get Vaccinated. The president’s forecast follows the most recent prediction by White House COVID adviser Anthony Fauci, MD. On Feb. 2, Fauci said we could put an end to the pandemic well before Christmas. “I think if we do it right—if we really efficiently and effectively get people vaccinated—we can do that by the end of the summer [or] the beginning of the fall,” the infectious disease expert told CNN. And for more up-to-date information, sign up for our daily newsletter. The COVID vaccine is a key tool in helping us return to normal. The president cited the need to achieve herd immunity through vaccination in order to get things back to some form of normalcy. Biden predicted that “by the end of July,” the vaccine will be available to every American who wants to receive it. From there, it will take a bit longer to get those people vaccinated, which tracks with his prediction that we’d then return to normal by the end of December. And for more on the future of the vaccine rollout, Dr. Fauci Says You’ll Easily Get a Vaccine Appointment After This Date. Although the vaccine will be a huge help in getting us back to normal, Biden emphasized the importance of taking precautions to help keep us safe until then. “It matters whether you continue to wear that mask. It matters whether you continue to socially distance. It matters whether you wash your hands with hot water,” he said. He pointed out that these simple measures can save a lot of lives before we reach herd immunity. And to keep yourself healthy, If You’re Layering These Masks, the CDC Says to Stop Immediately.ae0fcc31ae342fd3a1346ebb1f342fcb Before telling Cooper his prediction, Biden said his COVID committee had given him the advice to avoid discussing the future of the pandemic. “Be careful not to predict things you don’t know for certain because then you’ll be held accountable,” Biden said, describing the advice he received from the committee. POTUS attempted to temper his response noting, “We don’t know for certain,” before sharing his best predictions. And for more on life in the near future, Dr. Fauci Just Confirmed You Can Do This After Getting Vaccinated.