Barack Obama scales back 60th birthday party over Covid concerns

About 700 people, including Oprah Winfrey and George Clooney, were expected to gather this weekend on Martha's Vineyard

Barack Obama is scaling back the big bash planned for his 60th birthday because of concerns about the national rise in Covid-19 cases, a spokesperson said on Wednesday.

Due to the new spread of the Delta variant over the past week, the president and Mrs Obama have decided to significantly scale back the event to include only family and close friends," Hannah Hankins, a spokesperson for the former president, said in a statement. He's appreciative of others sending their birthday wishes from afar and looks forward to seeing people soon."