England lifts Covid curbs amid warnings of surge in cases
July 19, 2021, 3:37 am

England lifts Covid curbs amid warnings of surge in cases

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The Hindustan Times reported the British government on Monday went ahead with the reopening plan and lifted all pandemic restrictions, including mandatory wearing of face masks, even as Covid-19 cases grew exponentially amid concerns of a possible third wave worldwide.

From midnight 2300 GMT Sunday (local time), nightclubs, cinemas and other indoor venues in England are allowed to run at full capacity, while legal mandates covering the wearing of masks and working from home have been scrapped.

Residents of the UK, who have been fully vaccinated, returning from "amber list" destinations in Europe will no longer have to quarantine.

The move to reopen the country aims to revive the economy battered by its deepest recession in 300 years. Prime Minister Boris Johnson has defended the decision saying, "If we don't do it now, then we'll be opening up in the autumn, the winter months when the virus has the advantage of the cold weather."

In a video message for the nation, Johnson also said that "If we don't do it now, we've got to ask ourselves, when will we ever do it? So this is the right moment, but we've got to do it cautiously."

Over the last few weeks, Britain has been facing a new wave of infections as the daily number topped 50,000. The surge has been mostly led by the Delta variant of the coronavirus.

The Hindustan Times said multiple news agencies reported that with this, hospitals in the UK are also facing rising admissions as they jumped to the highest since late March.

However, hospitalisations have been at a slower pace than new infections.

While many have dubbed this as "Freedom Day," epidemiologists and other critics have expressed grave concerns and say the move is coming too soon

Medics also warned that even if Britain is suffering far fewer deaths than in previous waves, such a caseload would still put severe pressure on the National Health Service (NHS) and risks seeding new variants, according to an AFP report.

Source: hindustantimes
Image source: hindustantimes

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BENEFIT, the Kingdom’s innovator and leading company in Fintech and electronic financial transactions service, has sponsored the BuildHer CityHack 2025 Hackathon, a two-day event spearheaded by the College of Engineering and Technology at the Royal University for Women (RUW).
Aimed at secondary school students, the event brought together a distinguished group of academic professionals and technology experts to mentor and inspire young participants.
More than 100 high school students from across the Kingdom of Bahrain took part in the hackathon, which featured an intensive programme of training workshops and hands-on sessions. These activities were tailored to enhance participants’ critical thinking, collaborative problem-solving, and team-building capabilities, while also encouraging the development of practical and sustainable solutions to contemporary challenges using modern technological tools.
BENEFIT’s Chief Executive Mr. Abdulwahed AlJanahi, commented: “Our support for this educational hackathon reflects our long-term strategic vision to nurture the talents of emerging national youth and empower the next generation of accomplished female leaders in technology. By fostering creativity and innovation, we aim to contribute meaningfully to Bahrain’s comprehensive development goals and align with the aspirations outlined in the Kingdom’s Vision 2030—an ambition in which BENEFIT plays a central role.”
Professor Riyadh Yousif Hamzah, President of the Royal University for Women, commented: “This initiative reflects our commitment to advancing women in STEM fields. We're cultivating a generation of creative, solution-driven female leaders who will drive national development. Our partnership with BENEFIT exemplifies the powerful synergy between academia and private sector in supporting educational innovation.”
Hanan Abdulla Hasan, Senior Manager, PR & Communication at BENEFIT, said: “We are honoured to collaborate with RUW in supporting this remarkable technology-focused event. It highlights our commitment to social responsibility, and our ongoing efforts to enhance the digital and innovation capabilities of young Bahraini women and foster their ability to harness technological tools in the service of a smarter, more sustainable future.”
For his part, Dr. Humam ElAgha, Acting Dean of the College of Engineering and Technology at the University, said: “BuildHer CityHack 2025 embodies our hands-on approach to education. By tackling real-world problems through creative thinking and sustainable solutions, we're preparing women to thrive in the knowledge economy – a cornerstone of the University's vision.”