Omicron surge not stopping Savannah Guthrie’s birthday bash on New Year’s Eve

Savannah Guthrie’s husband Michael Feldman still plans to host his wife’s “Today” co-stars, family  and others at her belated 50th birthday party on New Year’s Eve, despite a surge of COVID-19 cases in New York state.

Page Six reported that the party will still take place at the Mirbeau Inn and Spa, a luxury resort along the Hudson River, about 100 miles north of New York City, and that Hoda Kotb, Al Roker, Carson Daly, and Jenna Bush-Hager are among the 60 confirmed guests.

According to Page Six, a source close to Guthrie, who turned 50 on Monday, has insisted that the couple is going “above and beyond” to ensure all guests and staff at the venue are safe. However, Page Six also reported that there also is concern about having so many NBC stars gathered together over the weekend when omicron, a highly contagious variant of COVID-19, is causing a surge in infections in New York state and other parts of the country.

Another insider, who “got wind of the fête,” also asked if it was “hypocritical” of Guthrie to throw a large party for herself, “given that she is constantly touting being COVID-safe on the news.”

New York state reported a new single-day high of 67,090 cases on Wednesday, a 64.5% increase from just the day before, the NBC affiliate in New York reported. Hospitalizations also are up, with New York Gov. Kathy Hochul warning that a peak in cases is yet to come.

Health officials, including Dr. Anthony Fauci, the top U.S. infectious disease expert, said Wednesday that people should avoid large indoor parties. While Fauci said small home gatherings for vaccinated and boosted family and friends should be OK, he expressed concern about the “the 40- to 50-person New Year’s Eve party with all the bells and whistles and everybody hugging and kissing and wishing each other a happy new year.”

Dr. Peter Chin Hong, an infectious disease expert at UCSF, agreed in an interview with the Bay Area News Group that “an indoor gathering with a ton of people is super unsafe right now.” Even if people at these events are vaccinated, they may not all have received a booster shot, which is considered the most effective defense against the omicron variant, he said. He said a more safe number for a gathering right now would be around 10 or 12 people.

Another health expert, Dr. Jorge Salinas, an infectious disease specialist at Stanford, expressed concern about any gatherings. “There is too much of this virus circulating,” he said. If people want to get together with others, he said they should make sure the gatherings are small and keep them short, even when everyone is vaccinated and boosted. Early studies show that vaccinations and booster shots can slow infections from omicron and protect against serious illness and death in breakthrough cases.

The Page Six source said Guthrie’s party has been in the works for months, with her husband renting out the entire venue to limit the number of people on the property at the time of the party.