Barack Obama planning 60th birthday bash with ‘hundreds of guests’ as Delta variant surges
- Barack Obama is turning 60 on Wednesday and he’s marking the milestone with a big party
- Coronavirus cases and hospitalisations across US are surging because of the Delta variant
Barack Obama is planning a big bash with hundreds of guests to celebrate his 60th birthday this week.
But the former US president has come under fire – mainly from the Republican camp – for throwing a large party amid a resurgence of coronavirus cases due to the Delta variant.
According to reports, Obama was planning an elaborate celebration at the family’s estate on Martha’s Vineyard island south of Cape Cod in Massachusetts.
A reporter at a White House briefing on Monday questioned whether Obama was setting the wrong example about how serious Covid-19 is by hosting such a big event.
White House spokeswoman Jen Psaki pointed out that the planned bash is taking place “outdoors and in a moderate zone”.
In addition, testing requirements and other measures were also in place, she said, without going into detail.