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China postpones the Beijing marathon amid surge in coronavirus infections

The BBC reported, China has postponed the Beijing marathon until further notice, amid a surge in coronavirus infections.
It comes as the country's top health official warned that a fresh outbreak of cases is expected to spread further.
China has reported more than 133 cases across 11 provinces so far. All of them have been linked to the highly transmissible Delta variant.
The latest surge is considered the largest outbreak in the country since Nanjing in August this year.

It has raised concerns over China's ability to maintain its zero-tolerance approach to the virus, especially leading up to the 2022 Winter Olympics.
How significant is the Beijing marathon?
The BBC said that The Beijing marathon, held annually since 1981, is one of China's biggest local sporting events.
The race traditionally begins at Tiananmen Square and ends in Celebration Square in Beijing's Olympic Park.
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Around 30,000 people were expected to take part in the marathon, which was scheduled to happen on October 31.
Marathon organisers said it was cancelling the event "in order to prevent the risk of the epidemic spreading (and) effectively protect the health and safety of the majority of runners, staff and residents."
The latest surge is believed to have been spread by local tour groups visiting other provinces and cities.
How is China dealing with this surge?
According to the BBC, China has enforced travel restrictions, ramped up testing and urged heightened vigilance in a bid to stamp out the latest outbreak.
Officials have banned travel agencies from arranging cross-provincial tours that involve affected regions.
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Meanwhile, authorities in the capital Beijing have said they will not allow people with travel history to affected counties into the city.
Many countries such as Australia have switched from a zero-tolerance policy to living with the virus.
But China has stuck to a zero-Covid strategy by implementing harsh lockdowns, mass testing and pursuing mass vaccination drives - about 75.6% of China's population, or 1.068 billion people, had received complete vaccine doses as of Saturday.
However, it has recently suffered sporadic local outbreaks of Covid, mostly due to the Delta variant.
Source: BBC
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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.”
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