Nearly 200 Americans airlifted from China placed under coronavirus quarantine
February 1, 2020, 12:22 pm

Nearly 200 Americans airlifted from China placed under coronavirus quarantine

A woman, who declined to give her name, wears a mask, on January 30, 2020, in New York. (AP)

Nearly 200 Americans evacuated from China and voluntarily confined to a California air base for 72 hours of coronavirus screenings were placed under a mandatory 14-day quarantine on Friday, as US health officials intensified precautions against the spread of the disease.

The move by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), its first quarantine in 50 years, was announced a day after the State Department issued its strongest warning against travel to China due to an epidemic of the new virus, which has claimed more than 200 lives.

“We are preparing as if this is the next pandemic, but we are hoping that is not the case,” said Dr. Nancy Messonnier, director of the CDC’s National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, in a telephone interview from the agency’s headquarters in Atlanta.

The United States angered China on Friday after it issued a travel warning over a coronavirus epidemic that has been declared a global emergency and led to increasing supply problems for businesses.

Originating in the Chinese city of Wuhan, the flu-like coronavirus first identified earlier this month has resulted in the deaths of 213 people in China, out of the total number of cases approaching 10,000.

The quarantine order requires all 195 Americans airlifted from Wuhan to remain isolated in special housing at March Air Reserve Base near Los Angeles for the entire 14-day incubation period of the disease. The two-week period runs from the time they left China on Tuesday.

“This is a precautionary and preventive step to maximize the containment of the virus in the interest of the health of the American public,” the CDC said in a statement.

Screening test limited

The CDC said on Wednesday, the day the evacuees landed, that they were being kept, voluntarily, at the base for at least 72 hours while they underwent medical evaluation for symptoms of the virus and CDC laboratory tests.

The plan then was to allow the passengers to return to their homes, absent any indication of exposure or illness, leaving state and local health authorities to continue monitoring the evacuees through the remainder of the incubation period.

That plan would have permitted members of the group to take public transportation home. CDC officials said on Wednesday that people incubating the infection before symptoms appear are generally not regarded as contagious.

But Messonnier on Friday cited emerging evidence that the virus can be spread by someone who is infected but not yet showing signs of being ill, which include fever, cough and other respiratory symptoms.

The CDC also pointed to a limitation of the screening test it had developed for the virus. Even if a test result comes back negative, “it does not conclusively mean an individual is at no risk of developing the disease over the likely 14-day incubation period,” the agency said in a statement.

“We are looking in people’s noses to see if they have the virus there,” but CDC is not certain the test is specific enough to identify whether someone is incubating the virus, Messonnier said. “This test is a point-in-time test that should not be relied on to predict whether this person will become ill.”

Tried to leave the base

The blanket 14-day CDC quarantine for all 195 evacuees was instituted after one of the passengers, who was not identified, sought to leave the base without permission on Wednesday night. He was immediately slapped with an individual quarantine order issued by Riverside County health authorities.

It was not clear whether that incident played a role in the CDC’s quarantine order on Friday.

As of Thursday, none of the group at the base had exhibited signs of the disease, local health officials said.

The evacuees, who were flown aboard a government-chartered cargo jet to California after a refueling stop in Alaska, consist of State Department employees from the US Consulate in Wuhan, their immediate family members and some other Americans who were welcomed to join the flight, the CDC said.

The State Department said on Friday it is working with US and Chinese agencies to arrange for additional flights of Americans out of Wuhan.

Washington also plans to evacuate non-essential government employees and family members from the US Embassy in Beijing and consulates in Chengdu, Guangzhou, Shanghai and Shenyang due to the coronavirus outbreak, a State Department official said on Thursday.

The CDC has tallied six confirmed US cases of coronavirus, none fatal, including the first known transmission of the virus from one person to another within the United States - a couple in Illinois.

source: Reuters

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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.