Sunday’s number meant new cases in South Korea, which has so far fared better than many industrialised nations in case numbers and deaths, have topped 1,100 a day for nearly two weeks in an outbreak stoked by a surge in highly transmissible Delta variant cases.

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So far, South Korea has recorded 179,203 cases and 2,058 deaths. Some 31.4 per cent of its 52 million population has received at least one dose of vaccine, while 12.7 per cent have been fully vaccinated.

Helped largely by vaccinations of the elderly and the vulnerable, the latest surge in case numbers has yet to be accompanied by a significant increase in hospitalisations or deaths, with a mortality rate of 1.15 per cent and the number of severe cases at 185 as of Sunday.

Citing military sources, Yonhap news agency reported none of the affected personnel aboard the destroyer were classified as severe cases, though one person has developed conditions that require close observation.

The defence ministry had said no one aboard the destroyer had been vaccinated as the unit had left the country in February, before a vaccination campaign began for military personnel.

Singapore urges unvaccinated to stay at home

The health ministry on Monday reported 163 new locally-transmitted coronavirus cases, the highest daily tally in 11 months, driven by growing clusters of infections linked to a fishery port and karaoke bars. The numbers are a rise from Sunday’s 88 local cases.

Health Minister Ong Ye Kung said Singapore should continue to expect many infections to be reported in the coming days and be prepared to make adjustments or take decisive action to suppress the cases.

The recent outbreaks in karaoke lounges and at a wholesale fish port are linked, Ong said. They differ genetically from the Delta variant earlier identified in previous outbreaks, with the current clusters closer to what has been detected in imported cases from Indonesia, he added.

“One thing is clear – when countries in the region have big outbreaks, we are always at risk,” Ong said.

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Identified cases linked to the karaoke lounge cluster are settling down following extensive testing whereas the outbreak linked to the fish port is “rising worryingly, because it is seeding cases in various markets, and the communities around them”, Ong said.

Though Singapore’s daily cases are only a fraction of the number being reported among its Southeast Asian neighbours, the jump in infections is a setback for the Asian business hub, which has successfully contained its earlier outbreaks. On July 10, it had reported no new cases.

As a precaution, authorities on Sunday shut fresh fish and seafood stalls in markets across the city state as it tested fishmongers for Covid-19.

Australia to deport British commentator

Australia has cancelled far-right British commentator Katie Hopkins’ visa after she boasted about flouting the country’s strict hotel quarantine rules, a senior official said on Monday.

Hopkins had flown into Sydney to appear on a reality television show when she posted a video on Instagram talking about answering the door naked and maskless to workers delivering meals to her hotel room, local media reported.

Most international arrivals to Australia are required to complete 14 days in mandatory isolation in a hotel, under rules designed to prevent the spread of Covid-19.

Home Affairs Minister Karen Andrews said Australia’s border agency “acted quickly to make sure that the visa on which she entered was cancelled” after the footage appeared.

“We will be getting her out of the country as soon as we can possibly arrange that,” Andrews told public broadcaster ABC. “She’s clearly not someone that we want to keep in this country for a second longer than we have to.”

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Hopkins has long caused controversy by spouting racist, anti-Islamic and anti-migrant views, and regularly speaks out against coronavirus measures such as lockdowns.

Andrews said Hopkins had been granted a visa with the support of a state government on the basis it would potentially be of economic benefit to the country.

“The fact that she was out there boasting about breaching quarantine was appalling,” Andrews said.

“It was a slap in the face for all those Australians who are currently in lockdown, and it’s just unacceptable behaviour. So, personally, I’m very pleased she’ll be leaving.”

About 12 million Australians are currently under lockdown to curb outbreaks of the highly contagious Delta variant. Canberra has also limited the number of people who can enter the country, leaving tens of thousands of Australians stranded overseas.

Morrison’s approval rating slumps

A Newspoll conducted for The Australian newspaper showed Morrison’s public support dropped two points to 51 per cent over the last three weeks, the lowest level since he faced criticism early last year over his response to devastating bush fires.

Morrison has come under increasing pressure as a slow national vaccine roll-out leaves Australia exposed to a deadly new wave of the coronavirus pandemic. Sydney and Melbourne, the country’s biggest two cities, are in lockdown in a bid to stem a fast-moving outbreak of the Delta variant.

Morrison’s Liberal-National Party coalition government also slumped to its lowest electoral position this term, the Newspoll showed, trailing the opposition Labor Party 47-53 on a two-party preferred basis.

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If the poll result was replicated at an election, the conservative government would suffer “a significant defeat” against centre-left Labor, The Australian reported.

After a 2019 general election gave the coalition a wafer-thin majority, Morrison’s popularity initially surged during the Covid-19 crisis as measures including closing the international border, social distancing and speedy contact tracing kept Australia’s overall exposure relatively low. The country has recorded just over 31,900 cases and 914 deaths.

But delays with the vaccine roll-out – just 13 per cent of the country’s adult population of around 20 million are fully vaccinated – have frustrated voters.

Morrison’s handling of the pandemic fell nine points in the past three weeks to 52 per cent, according to the Newspoll, far below the 85 per cent rating at the previous peak of the pandemic in April last year. Confidence in the vaccine roll-out slumped to 40 per cent.

Additional reporting by Agence France-Presse