White House Easter Egg Roll canceled due to COVID-19 pandemic

The White House Easter Egg Roll has been canceled for the second year in a row due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The state of play: The White House Historical Association announced the event will instead take place virtually. The holiday celebration is organized by the first lady and typically draws crowds of 30,000 people.

• The White House also plans to send thousands of commemorative 2021 Easter Egg Roll eggs to vaccination sites and hospitals in the days ahead, said Michael LaRosa, a spokesperson for first lady Jill Biden.
• The decision comes after President Biden said that if people continued to follow coronavirus guidelines, small gatherings could take place starting on July 4.

What they're saying: "The Bidens hope to continue this tradition in 2022,” LaRosa told the New York Times.

• "The White House plans to send out thousands of the 2021 commemorative Easter Egg Roll eggs in the coming days to vaccination sites and local hospitals. We urge everyone this Easter to continue wearing masks, engage in social distancing and get the vaccine when it is your turn."