Coronavirus: Singapore-Australia travel bubble delayed; cases fall in South Korea
- Opening up travel remains a priority, but the scale of Sydney’s outbreak means plans are on hold, the Australian trade minister said on Sunday
- Meanwhile, Australia reported its first Covid-19 death of 2021, and new cases dipped slightly in South Korea after antivirus curbs were tightened
While opening up the travel corridor remains a priority, the scale of the outbreak that has forced the country’s largest city into a renewed lockdown means plans are on hold, Dan Tehan told The Sydney Morning Herald.
“It has been put back due to the third wave of the virus,” he said. “The hope might be towards the end of the year that you could look at a travel bubble with Singapore.”
Following the initial discussions, the two countries have not committed to a specific date for the travel bubble so far.
When borders do open, Tehan said he expects vaccine passports would be required for travel for years. “It could be like the little yellow booklet for yellow fever.”
Australia logs first Covid-19 death of 2021
Australia reported its first coronavirus-related death of the year on Sunday and a record 77 new cases of the virus in the state of New South Wales, which is battling an outbreak of the highly infectious Delta variant.
“I’ll be shocked if it’s less than 100 this time tomorrow, of additional new cases,” Berejiklian told a televised briefing.
On Saturday there were 50 cases, the previous 2021 record high. This takes the recent outbreak to 566 cases.
Of Sunday’s cases, 33 were people who had spent time in the community while they were infectious, raising the likelihood that the three-week lockdown of more than 5 million people in Sydney and surroundings will be extended.
The neighbouring state of Victoria, which on Sunday recorded its 11th straight days without new infections, said it was closing its borders with New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory to prevent spreading of the virus.
In Sydney, there are 52 cases in hospital, or about one in 10 people infected in the current outbreak. Fifteen people are in intensive care, five require ventilation. The death, the country’s first locally contracted case since December, involved a woman in her 90s.
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The global spread of the highly contagious Delta variant of Covid-19
Daily caseload falls in South Korea
Reported cases often dip over weekends with fewer tests conducted, and authorities have warned that cases may continue to rise.
The new surge in cases has seen far fewer serious infections than earlier waves, with many of South Korea’s older and more vulnerable residents vaccinated against the virus.
Young South Koreans blamed as Seoul tightens coronavirus curbs
The surge has prompted officials to mandate the strictest level of social distancing in Seoul and neighbouring regions for the first time, starting on Monday.
South Korea’s total Covid-19 infections to date stand at 168,046, with 2,043 deaths.
Japan governors seek vaccine supplies
The governors released the proposal amid rising confusion at the frontline of inoculation due to supply shortages faced by many municipalities.
The governors said local governments were forced to suspend accepting appointments for the Covid-19 vaccination, as well as cancelling appointments, after the state pressured local authorities to accelerate the pace of providing shots.
The proposal urged Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga’s government to recognise that its handling of the situation has caused confusion, even though local authorities have been trying to meet the government’s goal of finishing inoculating all people in the country who want to receive shots by October or November.
Vietnam imposes restrictions
Vietnam will impose movement restrictions in the Mekong Delta city of Can Tho for 14 days starting on Monday, the government said on Sunday, as the Southeast Asian country battles its worst outbreak of the pandemic.
The city of 1.23 million people in the far south has reported seven infections over the past week, the government said in a statement.
After successfully containing the disease for much of the pandemic, Vietnam has faced a more stubborn outbreak since late April, with daily infections climbing to record levels.
The health ministry reported 1,953 new infections on Sunday, the seventh straight day of more than 1,000 cases, and exceeding Saturday’s record of 1,853. Most of the cases were recorded in Ho Chi Minh City, the epicentre of the country’s outbreak.
Vietnam has recorded 29,816 infections in total and 116 deaths – very low figures compared with some European nations, India and the United States.
The country has over the past week begun imposing restrictions on movement in major cities, including the economic hub of Ho Chi Minh and the capital Hanoi.
Reporting by Bloomberg, Reuters, Kyodo
