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Covid: rapid testing key to reopening venues in England, says Zahawi

Vaccines minister cautions that end of lockdown must be ‘data-driven rather than date-driven’
Rapid testing, as well as mass vaccination, could be central to reopening sporting and entertainment venues in England, the vaccines minister, Nadhim Zahawi, has said, adding that preliminary evidence on the effect of vaccines on coronavirus transmission was encouraging.
Speaking to BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, Zahawi said: “It’s a combination of rapid testing as well as the mass vaccination programme that will get our economy back on its feet and venues open again.”
Many venues, such as nightclubs, have been unable to reopen since the country first went into lockdown in March last year, while theatres reopened last summer with significantly reduced capacities.
Despite earlier doubts about their reliability, lateral flow tests, which can give results within 30 minutes, have been used by the government in “surge testing” in areas with high infection rates, and also in settings such as schools, workplaces and care homes to test asymptomatic people.
On Monday, Boris Johnson said rapid lateral flow tests could be the “route forward” to reopening “those parts of the economy we couldn’t get open last year”, naming theatres and nightclubs as examples of businesses that had been “the toughest nuts to crack”.
But he said it was “still early days” and the government was closely monitoring infection rates as a requirement for easing lockdown restrictions in England, a process he said needed to be “cautious but irreversible”.Next week, the prime minister will set out a roadmap for leaving lockdown, including a timetable with “earliest possible” dates. But Zahawi reiterated that it is still too early to ascertain how much falling transmission rates were due to lockdown and how much they were due to the vaccine.
He declined to say how low coronavirus infection rates must be in order to ease lockdown, but emphasised that the reopening of the economy needed to be based on the figures.
“We have to be data-driven rather than date-driven,” he told Sky News on Tuesay morning, echoing Johnson’s sentiments that the government would like this to be the last national lockdown. “We want to reopen as soon as possible, but it must be sustainable.”
In a separate interview with Times Radio, Zahawi said early data on the effect of vaccines on transmission was encouraging and further evidence was in the offing. Public Health England was studying the impact on hospitalisation, deaths and transmission, and other research had shown good signs, he said.
“We’re beginning to see more and more data but at the moment it’s far too early to begin to speculate on the quality of the data,” he said. “The Oxford team had some early data which is really encouraging on transmission, which has to be peer-reviewed. Ultimately, what we want to do is make sure the vaccines are delivering that bridge – you break the link between infection rates and hospitalisation and serious illness and deaths.”
Pressed on vaccine passports and whether the government had looked at the legality of employers asking workers to disclose their vaccination record, Zahawi declined to answer. “At the moment, the vaccination programme is non-mandatory,” he said.
With some countries seeking to introduce a mandatory requirement to show a vaccine certificate, he said the government was looking to “facilitate an individual being able to get their certificate”.
But the government was not looking to introduce vaccine passports domestically, and testing would be a more likely means for businesses to reopen, he said. “It is much better to vaccinate the adult population … plus our rapid testing, tracing and isolation.”
source: Lucy Campbell
Levant
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BENEFIT AGM approves 10%...
- March 27, 2025
BENEFIT, the Kingdom’s innovator and leading company in Fintech and electronic financial transactions service, held its Annual General Meeting (AGM) at the company’s headquarters in the Seef District.
During the meeting, shareholders approved all items listed on the agenda, including the ratification of the minutes of the previous AGM held on 26 March 2024. The session reviewed and approved the Board’s Annual Report on the company’s activities and financial performance for the fiscal year ended 31 December 2024, and the shareholders expressed their satisfaction with the company’s operational and financial results during the reporting period.
The meeting also reviewed the Independent External Auditor’s Report on the company’s consolidated financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2024. Subsequently, the shareholders approved the audited financial statements for the fiscal year. Based on the Board’s recommendation, the shareholders approved the distribution of a cash dividend equivalent to 10% of the paid-up share capital.
Furthermore, the shareholders endorsed the allocation of a total amount of BD 172,500 as remuneration to the members of the Board for the year ended 31 December 2024, subject to prior clearance by related authorities.
The extension of the current composition of the Board was approved, which includes ten members and one CBB observer, for a further six-month term, expiring in September 2025, pending no objection from the CBB.
The meeting reviewed and approved the Corporate Governance Report for 2024, which affirmed the company’s full compliance with the corporate governance directives issued by the CBB and other applicable regulatory frameworks. The AGM absolved the Board Members of liability for any of their actions during the year ending on 31st December 2024, in accordance with the Commercial Companies Law.
In alignment with regulatory requirements, the session approved the reappointment of Ernst & Young (EY) as the company’s External Auditors for the fiscal year 2025, covering both the parent company and its subsidiaries—Sinnad and Bahrain FinTech Bay. The Board was authorised to determine the external auditors’ professional fees, subject to approval from the CBB, and the meeting concluded with a discussion of any additional issues as per Article (207) of the Commercial Companies Law.
Speaking on the company’s performance, Mr. Mohamed Al Bastaki, Chairman BENEFIT , stated: “In terms of the financial results for 2024, I am pleased to say that the year gone by has also been proved to be a success in delivering tangible results. Growth rate for 2024 was 19 per cent. Revenue for the year was BD 17 M (US$ 45.3 Million) and net profit was 2 Million ($ 5.3 Million).
Mr. Al Bastaki also announced that the Board had formally adopted a new three-year strategic roadmap to commence in 2025. The strategy encompasses a phased international expansion, optimisation of internal operations, enhanced revenue diversification, long-term sustainability initiatives, and the advancement of innovation and digital transformation initiatives across all service lines.
“I extend my sincere appreciation to the CBB for its continued support of BENEFIT and its pivotal role in fostering a stable and progressive regulatory environment for the Kingdom’s banking and financial sector—an environment that has significantly reinforced Bahrain’s standing as a leading financial hub in the region,” said Mr. Al Bastaki. “I would also like to thank our partner banks and valued customers for their trust, and our shareholders for their ongoing encouragement. The achievements of 2024 set a strong precedent, and I am confident they will serve as a foundation for yet another successful and impactful year ahead.”
Chief Executive of BENEFIT; Mr. Abdulwahed AlJanahi commented, “The year 2024 represented another pivotal chapter in BENEFIT ’s evolution. We achieved substantial progress in advancing our digital strategy across multiple sectors, while reinforcing our long-term commitment to the development of Bahrain’s financial services and payments landscape. Throughout the year, we remained firmly aligned with our objective of delivering measurable value to our shareholders, strategic partners, and customers. At the same time, we continued to play an active role in enabling Bahrain’s digital economy by introducing innovative solutions and service enhancements that directly address market needs and future opportunities.”
Mr. AlJanahi affirmed that BENEFIT has successfully developed a robust and well-integrated payment network that connects individuals and businesses across Bahrain, accelerating the adoption of emerging technologies in the banking and financial services sector and reinforcing Bahrain’s position as a growing fintech hub, and added, “Our achievements of the past year reflect a long-term vision to establish a resilient electronic payment infrastructure that supports the Kingdom’s digital economy. Key developments in 2024 included the implementation of central authentication for open banking via BENEFIT Pay”
Mr. AlJanahi concluded by thanking the Board for its strategic direction, the company’s staff for their continued dedication, and the Central Bank of Bahrain, member banks, and shareholders for their valuable partnership and confidence in the company’s long-term vision.
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