As the United States tries to contain the advance of the delta variant of the coronavirus, former US President Barack Obama has scheduled an outdoor party with hundreds of people to celebrate his 60th birthday, according to the US press.
As no guest list has been released, the celebration is scheduled for the weekend – Obama’s birthday this Wednesday (4). Admission will be granted to anyone vaccinated and with a negative Covid test result, according to the AFP news agency.
While complying with rules set by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the measures have not been enough to stop criticism on social media, including from members of the Republican Party.
On Twitter, Republican Congressman Jim Jordan wrote that if the party had been owned by former President Donald Trump, he would have been called a “super propagator” and his birthday boy “irresponsible.”
Party president Ronna McDaniel applied for a job with current US President Joe Biden, who was Obama’s deputy. “Does Biden have any comments about Obama throwing a giant birthday party as he pushes for more restrictions against Covid?” Or is there an exception for rich and liberal celebrity parties? ”He wrote on Twitter.
At a press conference on Monday (2), White House spokeswoman Jen Psaki said Obama’s party abides by CDC health recommendations, which the former president has always advocated for coronavirus vaccination and that the White House advise people to follow recommended sanitary rules. by the country’s authorities.
A government spokesperson also told Axios News Agency that Biden would not be present at the celebration but looked forward to Obama being welcomed into the Seventy-Five. The Obamas did not comment on the holiday.
The former president’s party will take place on Martha’s Vineyard, an island in Massachusetts and a popular summer vacation destination for millionaires on the East Coast. Until Monday, the island had a moderate level of virus transmission, according to CDC data.
Also according to the agency, the United States exceeded 100,000 daily cases with the advance of the delta variant, identified in India and more contagious, for the first time in six months on July 30, but the number of hospitalizations and deaths caused by Covid-19 have not kept pace with the increase.
That same day, according to federal guidelines, the state of Massachusetts recommended that its citizens – vaccinated or not – wear masks indoors.