Kamala Harris concedes White House ?didn?t see? Delta and Omicron coming

Kamala Harris has conceded that the Biden administration was blind to the emergence of the Delta and Omicron variants of Covid-19, and said she fears "misinformation" over vaccines will prolong the pandemic well into a third year.

The candid admission came in a wide-ranging interview with the Los Angeles Times, which followed reports that the vice-president was "struggling" to make a mark as Joe Biden's No 2 and was keen for a more prominent role.

Biden's handling of the pandemic, alongside other woes such as spiking inflation and the supply chain crisis, has contributed to a steady decline in his popularity ratings.

On Saturday, a White House official told NBC News the president would make a speech about Covid-19 on Tuesday, at which he would unveil new measures to combat the virus, including steps to "help communities in need of assistance".

Biden would also be "issuing a stark warning of what the winter will look like for Americans that choose to remain unvaccinated", the official said.

Harris, who has suffered the same sinking approval ratings as the 79-year-old president, was seen as shoo-in for the 2024 Democratic nomination until Biden said last month he would seek a second term. The White House said on Thursday Harris would be his running mate again.

As well as speaking to the LA Times, Harris had a heated exchange on Friday with the radio host Charlamagne tha God.