GLASGOW — The COP26 climate conference has its first known coronavirus case, with the mayor of Los Angeles saying he tested positive while in Scotland.
Mayor Eric Garcetti’s test came back positive earlier on Wednesday, his office said. “He is feeling good and isolating in his hotel room. He is fully vaccinated.”
Garcetti was scheduled to moderate a panel and attend another event on Wednesday before returning home on Thursday, the Los Angeles Times reports.
All attendees at COP26 have to take a daily rapid test to access the summit venue, with at-home testing kits provided by the organizers.
It’s the first known case of coronavirus at the conference, which has brought tens of thousands of people to Glasgow. Infection rates in Scotland and the wider United Kingdom remain high, with around 40,000 cases daily nationwide.
The U.K. government — which is hosting the event — would not answer questions about the number of COVID-19 cases so far on site at the conference. A COP26 spokesperson said: “Everyone’s safety and security at COP26 is of the utmost importance — we have worked closely with public health authorities to put rigorous COVID mitigation measures in place.”
Karl Mathiesen contributed reporting.
This article has been updated with a response from the U.K. government.