UK vaccine minister vows 'massive uplift' in number of jabs this week
January 6, 2021, 12:28 pm

UK vaccine minister vows 'massive uplift' in number of jabs this week

Nadhim Zahawi admitted that reaching the target by the middle of next month would be ‘challenging’.

Nadhim Zahawi says ‘absolute focus’ is to get 13.9 million people inoculated by mid-February

The UK vaccine minister, Nadhim Zahawi, has pledged a “massive uplift” in the number of coronavirus vaccinations carried out this week as he said reaching the government’s target of 13.9m jabs offered by February would be “challenging”.

Zahawi, the minister responsible for the vaccine rollout, told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: “My absolute focus is to get to 13.9 million … offered a vaccine by the middle of February, that is my target and I’m confident the NHS has a plan and we will meet that target.”

He said a quarter of over-80s had already been vaccinated. And he added: “Your listeners will see the number continue to rise.”

But he refused to specify when the government would reach the 300,000 vaccinations a day that would be required to meet that goal, saying that “the target is big enough and tough enough as it is”.

The government was under pressure on Wednesday to set out the detail of its plans to escalate the vaccination programme, but faced accusations that it had ignored an “army” of small pharmacies ready to play a part in the rollout.

Sandra Gidley, the president of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society, said there were thousands of high street pharmacies who were “ready, willing and able” to assist.

And Simon Dukes, the chief executive of the pharmaceutical negotiating services committee, told the Daily Telegraph: “We’ve been telling the NHS that we’re ready, willing and desperate to help. But we’ve been met by a de facto silence.”

While Zahawi did not dispute that nobody had yet contacted smaller pharmacies he promised that they would soon be part of the process, saying: “We will make sure that community pharmacies and the independent sector are involved, and that we deliver what I think is a very credible plan.”

The controversy over what role should be played by pharmacies came as England’s third national lockdown came into force legally overnight, with a retrospective parliamentary vote on the measures due later on Wednesday expected to pass comfortably.

The education secretary, Gavin Williamson, will meanwhile outline a package of support for young people after students in England were told this year’s GCSE and A-level exams would be scrapped.

Dr Susan Hopkins, the deputy director of the national infections service at Public Health England (PHE), said coronavirus cases were still rising.

“This position is the most serious we’ve been in so far this pandemic,” she told BBC Breakfast. “We are now seeing a number of patients in hospitals 40% higher than the cases at the peak in March/April. And we know that the cases in the community are still rising. And that means that we expect to see further admissions to hospital, and we expect to see further deaths.”

However, she said medics had gained experience over the last year in treating Covid-19 and had access to more treatments.

Zahawi said the target to get almost 14 million people vaccinated by next month was “stretching” but he was confident it would be delivered.

He told Sky News: “It’s a big target, and I think the prime minister is right to set challenging targets. We need to get on with this and do it as quickly but as safely as possible.”

The shadow home secretary, Nick Thomas-Symonds, told Sky News that there was a need “to ensure that the government machine is absolutely focused on this, ensuring that there is no red tape, for example for those who want to come back to the NHS … and to ensure that we have premises available all around the country.”

source: Archie Bland

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.