Secondary schools pupils in England to be tested for Covid before rejoining classes
January 3, 2022, 7:35 am

Secondary schools pupils in England to be tested for Covid before rejoining classes

Back to school/Pixabay

The BBC reported that the UK government has announced, secondary schools pupils in England will be tested for Covid at least once before rejoining classes for the new term.

Ministers have assured schools that testing kits will be provided as needed and urged pupils to test twice weekly.

It comes as the government stressed on Sunday that nothing in the Covid data suggests new restrictions are needed.

Meanwhile, Education Secretary Nadhim Zahawi has said face coverings will be required in schools until 26 January.

The new on-site testing rules will be limited to England, where pupils will begin returning to schools for the new term later this week.

School building in the city of London/Pixabay

In Scotland and Northern Ireland, students are already being asked to test twice every week.

The Welsh government has urged staff and students to test three times per week before the start of the new term.

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In a statement announcing the measures, Health Secretary Sajid Javid said "regular testing is a key way to support schools and protect face-to-face teaching".

Fears have been raised in recent that a wave of illness and isolation among staff caused by the new Omicron coronavirus variant could make it "impossible" for schools to deliver face-to-face teaching to all pupils.

In a bid to combat a potential surge of illness, ministers have urged pupils to come forward for a Covid vaccine.

Face masks to be worn in secondary classrooms in the UK

Mr Zahawi outlined his plan to keep schools open despite the surging number of cases in a Twitter thread.

He said education is the "number one priority" for the government and he wanted to "offer some reassurance".

As well as testing, Mr Zahawi promised "a further 7,000 air-cleaning units will be provided, building on the 1,000 already announced and the 350,000 CO2 monitors distributed to classrooms across the country".

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The education secretary said he had also asked teachers who had left the profession or retired to come back as temporary support and urged all 12-15 year olds to get both doses of the Covid vaccine and for older children to get their booster jabs.

But Labour's shadow education secretary, Bridget Phillipson, criticised ministers for the slow rollout of jabs to schoolchildren.

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She said almost two million students aged 12-17 remain completely unvaccinated and the government had missed "the chance to get ahead of the virus, and is letting down our children".

Source: BBC

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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.