Biden not attending Obama’s 60th birthday party

President Biden will not be attending former President Obama’s 60th birthday party on Martha’s Vineyard, a White House official confirmed. 

“While President Biden is unable to attend this weekend, he looks forward to catching up with former President Obama soon and properly welcoming him into the over 60 club,” the White House official told The Hill. 

Obama turns 60 on Wednesday. Biden is slated to travel to Rehoboth Beach, Del., on Friday.

The Hill was the first to report that Obama is expected to be joined by dozens of A-list friends at his home on Martha’s Vineyard and that guests are being asked to take COVID-19 tests before attending. Celebrities Oprah Winfrey and George Clooney scored invites.

A person connected to Obama told Axios that there were 475 confirmed guests for the birthday party, including director Steven Spielberg. Pearl Jam is also set to play. 

The birthday party comes as COVID-19 concerns are mounting and the delta variant spreads.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s latest mask guidance recommends that all Americans, even those vaccinated, wear masks in crowded indoor environments in places where the delta variant has caused a high risk of infections. Martha’s Vineyard is not considered an area of “substantially-high” risk.