Obama cuts birthday party guests, “there is Delta variant”

After the controversy in the newspapers for the hundreds of guests, including many celebrities, Barack Obama has decided to change and drastically reduce the program of the party with which he will celebrate his 60 years in Martha’s Vineyard on Saturday, just as the United States is facing a new wave of Covid. “Due to the new release of the Delta variant in the last week, the President and Ms. Obama have decided to significantly reduce the event to include only family and close friends,” said the spokesperson, Hannah Hankins, noting how the party outdoors had been “organized months ago, in compliance with the guidelines and measures in force”. The spokeswoman added that Obama “thanks the others who will send their wishes from afar and is looking forward to meeting them soon”. The decision comes after in recent days the local and national press had questioned the safety of a reception to which hundreds of people had been invited, including former members of the administration, dem backers, including celebrities such as George Clooney, Steven Spielberg and Oprah Winfrey. From Obama’s staff, he had made sure that all attendees would be swabbed, but the governor of Massachusetts, Republican Charlie Baker, had said the party was “not a good idea” that he would not attend if he was invited. And even Joe Biden, who surely had received the invitation, had diplomatically made it known through a spokesperson that he could not attend his ex-boss’s party for previous engagements.