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Regulator refuses to approve mass daily Covid testing at English schools

Exclusive: Boris Johnson’s plan to test millions of pupils a week in disarray after concerns raised
Boris Johnson’s plans to test millions of schoolchildren for coronavirus every week appear to be in disarray after the UK regulator refused to formally approve the daily testing of pupils in England, the Guardian has learned.
The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) told the government on Tuesday it had not authorised the daily use of 30-minute tests due to concerns that they give people false reassurance if they test negative.
This could lead to pupils staying in school and potentially spreading the virus when they should be self-isolating.
The regulator’s decision undermines a key element of the government’s strategy to bring the pandemic under control – and is bound to raise fresh questions about the tests, and the safety of the schools that have been asked to use them.
Ministers have repeatedly said the use of daily Covid-19 tests is critical to keeping children in education because it means those who test negative can remain in classrooms, instead of whole year-groups having to self-isolate.
Gavin Williamson, the education secretary, described the government’s £78m testing plan as a “major milestone” and said it would mean testing “literally millions of children every single week”.
The initiative is at the centre of the prime minister’s £100bn “Operation Moonshot” mass-testing plan and is already under way in some secondary schools.
It was due to expand to primary schools and was then expected to widen to universities and workplaces by the end of January but that now looks highly unlikely.
The government has spent at least £1.5bn on the “lateral flow” devices and they have been used by universities, care homes and hospitals. Ministers announced this week that they would be distributed to all 317 local authorities in England.
However, experts have repeatedly raised concerns about the accuracy of the devices made by Innova.
The tests are specifically designed for use on people with Covid-19 symptoms and are most effective at identifying those with high viral loads, who are the most infectious. They are supposed to be administered only by trained professionals.
The government is mainly using the tests on people without symptoms and they are carried out by school staff, meaning their accuracy drops. Official figures from a trial in Liverpool found they missed 30% of people with a high viral load and half of the positive cases detected using a standard nasal swab.
The quick turnaround time means the tests can find positive cases that would not otherwise have come to light. However, many experts are concerned that people who test negative will presume they are safe to get involved in activities with others, or visit vulnerable and elderly people, with some saying this week that they may cause serious harm.
The MHRA is understood to have expressed similar concerns to officials in Matt Hancock’s Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) on Tuesday, a week after the rollout began in secondary schools.
Sources said the regulator made clear that it had not given the green light to the daily use of these tests on pupils who would otherwise have to self-isolate.
Prof Jon Deeks, a biostatistician of the University of Birmingham and Royal Statistical Society, described the use of rapid tests in this context as “ridiculous and dangerous” and welcomed the MHRA’s stance.
He said: “It is really important that we have confidence in the safety and effectiveness of tests for Covid-19 and all other diseases - this is the responsibility of our regulator.
“This clarification of the unsuitability of lateral flow tests for saying people are not infected with SARS-CoV-2 from the MHRA demonstrates that they are taking their responsibility seriously to ensure that tests are used in a safe way.
“The government needs to take greater care in ensuring they evaluate the potential harms as well as the benefit of all their mass testing proposals.”
The decision is a another setback for the prime minister’s mass-testing plan and raises questions about the proposed full return of schools after the February half-term, which is partly dependent on the availability of serial testing.
The government could apply for an exceptional use authorisation from the MHRA but this would take time and it is far from clear that it would be approved.
Any further distribution of the daily tests may also be on the condition that people are warned more explicitly about the risks, instead of a negative result being presented as a “green light” that they are Covid-free.
Williamson stressed the importance of repeat testing when he appeared before MPs on the Commons education select committee on Wednesday. He also said parents of primary school children would be expected to carry out the tests on their child at home – a suggestion likely to raise alarm bells at the MHRA, which has not approved self-administered tests in this way.
Williamson said: “Testing is a really important part of bringing people back into school. It’s an important part of fighting Covid-19 right across the community.
“If we’re testing a child, in essence we’re in a position where we’re also testing a household as well. We’re extending staff testing as of next week to primary schools and I would like to see it rolled out to all pupils, that’s my ambition – that’s where I want us to get to.”
A spokesperson for the DHSC said: “Lateral flow devices are a vital tool to finding more asymptomatic cases and the government’s approach to testing in schools will reduce transmission.
“We are testing teachers and students weekly on site to find positive cases and break the chains of transmission. In addition, as part of an ongoing evaluation, we are doing daily contact testing in schools using an assisted testing model.
“The evidence and lessons from these and other evaluations will be used to inform our review of the effect of daily contact testing on breaking chains of transmission and any future plans.”
source: Josh Halliday
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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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