Melbourne enters first day out of its sixth lockdown despite raging local transmission
October 22, 2021, 2:20 am

Melbourne enters first day out of its sixth lockdown despite raging local transmission

Australia-Melbourne-Intersection/Pixabay

The Xinhua reported, Australia's second-largest city of Melbourne entered the first day out of its sixth lockdown on Friday despite the local transmission of coronavirus remains severe.

It said that Melbourne residents, who have experienced 262 days in lockdown, are excited to brace "freedom" as its sixth lockdown was lifted from 11:59 pm Thursday local time.

Local media reported, thousands of excited residents flocked to local pubs, the beaches and even on their balconies to ring in the first seconds out of lockdown.

Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews said he expected to announce the removal of more restrictions when the state hit the next major vaccination milestone. The state, with 70.5 percent of residents aged 16 and over fully vaccinated, is expected to reach 80 percent full vaccination by next weekend.

Andrews also announced to scrap hotel quarantine for fully vaccinated international travelers returning back to Melbourne or coming to Melbourne from Nov. 1.

He said: "They'll be able to go home if they are double-vaccinated and if they have tested before the flight and if they get a test within 24 hours of arriving home. This means that we will reduce our hotel quarantine program down to just a handful of hotels."

At the same time, the state recorded 2,189 new locally acquired cases and 16 deaths on Friday, another day in this week with over 2,000 daily cases and the deadliest day in the current wave of outbreak.

There are 23,230 active cases in the state with 784 in hospitals, among them 145 are in intensive care units (ICUs) and 94 are ventilated.

Victorian Chief Health Officer Brett Sutton warned that the state may see increasing local transmission after opening up, and urged residents to keep alert to the virus.

He said: "As we start to reopen, there will be more COVID-19 (cases) in the community really than at any other point in time, so we have to bear in mind those other really important protections. Checking in, wearing a mask will be really important, and on days like today, opening every door and window in sight to let that fresh air through."

Source: xinhua

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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.”