A man from South Carolina has tested positive for the coronavirus just days after playing Santa at an event for children with special needs.

Fountain Inn city administrator Shawn Bell reported the incident to a local newspaper earlier this week with an apology.

“We obviously regret that this has happened, but we were trying to do something nice for the community and especially for a segment of the community that often goes overlooked,” Bell said.

Bell says that around 11 families attended the event and that while Santa did not wear a mask, the event was held outdoors and a rope separated the children from Santa.

Santa was said to have gone to get tested after feeling under the weather three days after the event.

It is unclear if any of the families who attended the event reported cases.