South Korea has started opening Covid-19 vaccine reservations for all adults over 18 for the first time as it scrambles to stave off a rise in sporadic outbreaks, many of them among young, unvaccinated residents, reports Reuters.

Some 45 per cent of South Korea's 52 million population have had at least one dose of vaccine, while just 15pc had been fully vaccinated as of Sunday midnight.

The country aims to immunise over 70pc of adults by September as it vaccinates those in the 18-49 age bracket with Moderna or Pfizer vaccines.

Inoculation for the age group is due to start on August 26 and is scheduled to run until September 30.