Snap lockdowns in Australia and New Zealand curb virus spread
February 17, 2021, 11:44 am

Snap lockdowns in Australia and New Zealand curb virus spread

People cross a street in Melbourne on February 12, 2021, after authorities ordered a five-day state-wide lockdown starting at midnight local time to stamp out a new coronavirus outbreak. (AFP)

Major cities in Australia and New Zealand lifted stay-at-home orders for millions of residents Wednesday after successfully using snap lockdowns to quash outbreaks of virulent strains of COVID-19.

Authorities said swift action in Melbourne and Auckland helped contain flare-ups of the highly contagious UK coronavirus variant, contrasting with the less rigorous approach taken in Europe and other infection hotspots.

Announcing the end of a five-day shutdown in Melbourne, Victoria Premier Daniel Andrews hailed the tactic as a “short, sharp circuit-breaker”.

“If we had been open throughout this outbreak... total case numbers would be much, much higher and it is a certainty that I would not be reporting zero cases today,” he said.

Andrews’s decision allows around six million residents to leave their homes, businesses to reopen and some spectators to return for the final days of the Australian Open tennis tournament.

In New Zealand, almost two million Aucklanders will enjoy similar freedoms after Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said a three-day lockdown had quelled the city’s most serious outbreak in almost six months.

“We wanted to make sure we took a cautious approach because that’s much, much better than getting it wrong and having a large-scale outbreak and a long lockdown,” she said.

Auckland is also hosting a major sporting event - the America’s Cup yachting regatta - which is expected to resume this week with crowds watching from the shoreline restricted to 100.

Both the Auckland and Melbourne outbreaks involved the more transmissible virus strain first detected in Britain.

Andrews has conceded such “hyper-infectious” variants are difficult to contain and examined tightening quarantine restrictions in Australia’s second most populous state.

A policeman patrols on a motorcycle in Melbourne on February 12, 2021, after authorities ordered a five-day state-wide lockdown starting at midnight local time to stamp out a new coronavirus outbreak. (AFP)

While Australia has largely contained the virus, Victoria state’s Melbourne remains the country’s worst affected city, enduring more than 100 days of lockdown late last year to curb an outbreak that killed about 800.

Andrews said aggressive lockdowns may be needed again to keep the virus at bay.

“I can’t stand here and be honest with people and say this will never, ever happen again,” he said.

Ardern said New Zealand’s COVID-19 response - which involves rigorous contact tracing and widespread testing when there is a community case - had again proved effective.

The New Zealand leader has been widely praised for her handling of the pandemic, with just 26 deaths in a population of five million.

But Ardern also signaled a willingness to use more lightning lockdowns if required, saying there was no room for complacency against the “tricky” threat posed by the virus.

“There is an indescribable anxiety that comes with the daily grind of managing a pandemic and I think we all feel it,” she said.

source: AFP

Image source: AFP

Levant

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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.