Barack Obama was the 44th President of the United States who served for two terms. His birthday falls on August 4, and this year he turns 60. He was a popular figure, and he and his wife Michelle have a huge fan following. On the occasion he had plans to invite his friends over to Martha’s Vineyard this weekend. The celebration would have been a huge gathering of Celebrities, but that is not happening.
The threat of the highly transmissible Delta variant of Coronavirus hangs in the air. The disease has its origin in China and has taken thousands of lives all over the world.
It has dampened the spirits and forced the event to be a simple affair. Doctors suggest safeguards like avoiding physical contact with strangers, staying away from crowded places, and maintaining personal hygiene.
CNN says the initial plan was to hold the birthday bash for Obama outside. The guest list would have been around 400 plus another group of hired staff for the party. It would have been an impressive get together of celebrities and former officials of the Obama administration.
The organizers of the party had agreed to adhere to all the necessary public health protocols. These would include testing for guests and a COVID-19 safety coordinator on site. However, it will now be limited to only the family and close friends.
Outdoor event on 60th birthday of Barack Obama canceled
An event of this magnitude involves plenty of pre-planning. A spokeswoman for Obama informed CNN that the program was planned months ago. It took into account all guidelines related to public health against the backdrop of coronavirus. However, there is a spread of the delta variant over the past week.
Under the circumstances, the Obamas decided to go in for a simple program with only the family and close friends.
The well-wishers of Barack Obama sent their birthday wishes. It was a sudden development, and a media outlet revealed that many guests were already on their way to the venue. This was at Martha’s Vineyard in Massachusetts Island.
Incidentally, the memoir of Barack Obama, “A Promised Land,” is on track to become a bestseller. He was a world leader and received the Nobel Peace prize in 2009. The Democratic Party respects him and keeps looking up to him for guidance. Obviously, the memoir will reveal many aspects of his illustrious life. Some of these are about his interaction at the international level, others are more personal.
Obama has a 29-acre estate on the island
Martha's Vineyard is in Dukes County. The authorities have designated it as an area of "moderate" Covid-19 community spread. In addition, the vaccination rate in Massachusetts is high. The local health department has already issued an indoor mask advisory, but the event of Obama was to be held outdoors.
CNN quotes White House press secretary Jen Psaki explaining: "What CDC has provided guidance on is for indoor settings and higher substantial-high zones of Covid cases. This event ... is outdoors and in a moderate zone."
Celebrities in the guest list of the birthday event of Obama
According to BBC, there were hundreds of invitees for the 60th birthday event of Barack Obama. Media reports mentioned names like actor George Clooney, director Steven Spielberg and talk show host Oprah Winfrey. Because of the highly contagious Delta variant of coronavirus, there is a surge in new infections.
It led the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention CDC to announce that masks would be mandatory indoors for the vaccinated and unvaccinated. As a result, Barack Obama scrapped the original plan. Michelle Obama has written her memoir “Becoming” and it is a best seller with more than 10m copies sold.
