Karine Jean-Pierre holds White House press briefing as new Covid variant spreads in US

The new ‘Pirola’ Covid variant has sounded alarm bells for public health experts in the United States amid a surge in cases.

Doctors warned that the BA.2.86 variant, unofficially called “Pirola”, may be cause for concern as it is a newly designated, highly mutated variant of Omicron.

First Lady Jill Biden is currently isolating after she tested positive for Covid on Monday, 4 September, just days before President Joe Biden, who tested negative for the virus, is due to travel to the G20 summit in India.

Mr Biden will make a statement today on the International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) and the Pacific Maritime Association (PMA) finalizing a new contract covering America’s West Coast ports.