US envoy Kerry gets COVID as climate talks head into overtime

U.S. Special Climate Envoy John Kerry tested positive for COVID-19 in the final hours of the COP27 climate talks in Egypt, the State Department said on Friday, as tough negotiations for a final deal headed into overtime.
Kerry had been conducting numerous bilateral meetings, including recently with his Chinese counterpart Xie Zhenhua, and was expected to use his trademark shuttle diplomacy to help negotiators bridge wide differences in the last hours of the summit.
“He is fully vaccinated and boosted and experiencing mild symptoms,” State Department spokesperson Whitney Smith said in an emailed statement. “He is working with his negotiations team and foreign counterparts by phone to ensure a successful outcome of COP27.”
Kerry’s voice was noticeably hoarse during speaking events on Thursday.
Efforts to reach the Chinese delegation at COP27 on Friday night were not immediately successful. The United States and China had resumed cooperation on climate this week after months of tensions over Taiwan.