US special climate envoy John Kerry tests positive for Covid at COP27

Despite testing positive for COVID-19 at the COP27 climate meeting in Egypt, United StatesSpecial Climate Envoy John Kerry is still working by phone, the State Department announced on Friday.

State Department spokesperson Whitney Smith said in an emailed statement, "He is fully vaccinated and boosted and experiencing mild symptoms. He is working with his negotiations team and foreign counterparts by phone to ensure a successful outcome of COP27."

At the two-week summit in Sharm el-Sheikh, Kerry has been driving American attempts to reach an agreement. He has had numerous bilateral meetings at the gathering, including one on Thursday with his Chinese counterpart, Xie Zhenhua.

Kerry's voice was noticeably hoarse during his Thursday speaking engagements.

(with inputs from agencies)