COP26 summit had 'little impact' on Covid cases in Scotland

The COP26 climate change summit in Glasgow did not lead to an increase in Covid cases in Scotland, according to Public Health Scotland (PHS).

The agency also said on Tuesday it found “no evidence of any connection between Omicron cases and COP26”.

PHS found that around two in every 1000 people officially affiliated with the COP26 summit tested positive for Covid-19 in the period from October 31 to November 13, compared to between 11 and 12 people per 1000 in the general population during the same period.

The report said: “Data available to PHS from enhanced and routine Covid-19 surveillance does not indicate a direct COP26 contribution to the increase in Covid-19 infections nationwide during the summit and there is no evidence of any connection between Omicron cases and COP26.

“With infections falling in the two weeks following the end of the summit, it is likely that COP26 has had little impact on Covid-19 epidemiology in Scotland.”

Thousands of delegates from across the globe attended the two-week summit at the Scottish Event Campus on the banks of the River Clyde.

PHS found the seven-day incidence rate of Covid cases did rise across the country during the summit – from 330 cases per 100,000 on November 1 to 389 cases per 100,000 on November 13.

But it said this was primarily driven by rising cases among children between five and 11-years-old.

The report added: “In the final week of COP26, case rates rose in the adult population aged 20 to 49-years-old also, but stabilised and started to decline in the two weeks after COP26 alongside the rates amongst the younger age groups.”