Climate Czar John Kerry contracted COVID-19 in Egypt this week after jetting to the Middle East to attend a United Nations panel on global warming.
“Secretary Kerry is self-isolating after testing positive for COVID-19 in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt. He is fully vaccinated and boosted and experiencing mild symptoms,” a Kerry spokesperson said. “He is working with his negotiations team and foreign counterparts by phone to ensure a successful outcome of COP27.”
From The Hill:
Kerry’s positive test comes three days after Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif tested positive for the virus, although it’s unclear whether Sharif, who also visited the U.K. after traveling to Egypt, contracted COVID-19 at the summit.
Kerry also recently met with Xie Zhenhua, China’s primary negotiator on climate issues, to restart long-frozen Washington-Beijing climate talks. The Hill has reached out to the Chinese Embassy for clarification on whether Xie will take a test.
After strict COVID-19 testing protocols and vaccination requirements were in place for last year’s COP26 conference in Glasgow, organizers of the 2022 conference have said vaccination is “strongly encouraged” but that proof of vaccination or a negative test are not required for entry into the summit venue.