Former President Barack Obama has come under fire for his plans to host nearly 500 people at his Martha's Vineyard mansion for his 60th birthday, despite a nationwide rise in COVID cases.
The former president is set to turn 60 on August 4, and is said to be planning a large soiree at his 7,000-square-foot mansion in the Edgarton section of Martha's Vineyard next weekend.
An official familiar with the plans told Axios that there are now 475 confirmed guests for the party - including Oprah Winfrey, George Clooney and Steven Spielberg - with more than 200 staff members.
All guests will have to be COVID tested and vaccinated and the party will be held outdoors on the Obama's $12 billion 30-acre waterfront property.
But Francis Collins, director of the National Institutes of Health, said Sunday on CNN that big parties should be avoided.
'If you're talking about a small party like I might have at my house for six or eight people who are all fully vaccinated, I do not believe, at this point, we need to put masks on to be next to each other,' he said.
'But if there were 100 people, and, of course, how are you really going to be sure about people's vaccination status?'
The CDC advises people who want to have large gatherings to gather virtually.
Former President Barack Obama (left) is planning to hold his 60th birthday at Martha's Vineyard (pictured on the golf course there, right)
The party will be held outside the Obamas' 7,000-square-foot home in Edgarton he and former first lady Michelle bought in 2019 for nearly $12 million (pictured)
It includes a large in-ground pool with some chaise loungers on the side to relax
There is also an outdoor table to enjoy some meals in the summer
The house includes seven bedrooms and has two separate wings
It sits on 30-acres, and provides some great ocean views
The Obamas' spent some of their time in quarantine at the Martha's Vineyard property
There will also be a 'COVID coordinator' to ensure all proper protocols are being followed, but it remains unclear what proof of a negative COVID test or a vaccine will be required, and whether guests will be required to wear masks.
The party comes just one month after nearby Provincetown saw a surge in coronavirus cases from the July 4 holiday.
The New York Times reports that the community, at the tip of Cape Cod, was crowded with over 60,000 people, many of whom were maskless, during the holiday.
Officials did not worry about it, however, as the community had one of the highest vaccination rates in the state.
But since then, scientists have
