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Former President Barack Obama planned a birthday bash for his 60th birthday. The bash was slated to include over 400 guests with a mixture of celebrities, friends, and Obama administration officials. The celebrity list included Oprah Winfrey and George Clooney. In addition, the Marthas Vineyard venue was set to have 200 hired workers. A COVID-19 safety coordinator would help oversee the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) public health protocols and guest testing. But on Aug. 4, 2021, Obama’s representative announced he would have to scale back the get-together due to the increasing coronavirus cases in the United States.
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Obama, now 60, scaled back the birthday bash and opened to family and close friends only. Martha’s Vineyard, located in Dukes County, Massachusetts, mandated indoor has been designated as a place of moderate COVID-19 spread as reported by the CDC. Massachusetts has a high vaccination rate and is still the current location of the former president’s birthday celAlthough Obama has been a heavy advocate of vaccinations across America, he has received mixed responses from government officials. The current numbers of COVID have seen a sudden rise in infections, with the Delta variant being the most apparent of those new infections. However, the vaccine is still highly effective in reduced hospitalizations and the likeliness of death.
CNN reports Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker (R) believes that the event is “not a good idea;” not receive an invite to the party but would have declined according to him.
Nonetheless, the 44th President received support from White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki, who insisted in a press briefing that there were several safety protocols put in place by his team. Moreover, the criticism did not stop Obama’s plans, as he will continue with his party after scaling back the number of attendees.
Written by Mikal Eggleston
Edited by Cathy Milne-Ware
Sources:
CNN: Obama scales back big birthday bash amid Covid worries; By Jeff Zeleny and Veronica Stracqualursi
The Guardian: Barack Obama scales back 60th birthday party over Covid concerns; by Amanda Holpuch
Featured and Top Image Courtesy of Justin Sloan’s Flickr Page – Creative Commons License
Inline Image Courtesy of Roberlan Borges’s Flickr Page – Creative Commons License