COVID-19 cases rise 23 pct in Britain, with London a hotspot
June 25, 2022, 8:06 am

COVID-19 cases rise 23 pct in Britain, with London a hotspot

FDA Authorizes First Breath Test for COVID-19 Infection (File photo: Pixabay)

The UK Office for National Statistics (ONS) reported Friday (June 24) Britain's new COVID-19 cases have jumped by 23 percent in just a week.

ONS said that in the week ending June 18, around 1,740,000 new cases were detected nationwide, up from more than the 1.4 million the previous week, the Xinhua reported.

It siad that ONS' study showed one in 40 people in England had COVID-19, compared with one in 20 in Scotland, one in 30 in Northern Ireland and one in 45 in Wales.

Regionally, London had the highest rate of infection in England with 2.9 percent, followed by North West England with 2.6 percent.

"The Omicron subvariants BA.4 and BA.5 are fuelling another wave of infections, our third already this year," Stephen Griffin, associate professor in the School of Medicine at the University of Leeds, told Xinhua.

Britain's new COVID-19 cases have jumped by 23 percent in just a week - Pic. Pixabay

The virologist said: "The rate of reinfection with these variants is also dramatically increased and prevalence is increasing across all ages. This highlights the ability of these viruses to evade antibody immunity and the rapidity with which they are causing waves across the globe is concerning.”

Boris Johnson announces over $454M for global food security

Griffin said: "We remain in a situation where even the NHS are being told by the government that protections aren't necessary. Surely a self-defeating attitude for a service already struggling with under-staffing and lack of adequate resource.”

In an update technical briefing Friday, the UK Health Security Agency said Omicron BA.4 and BA.5 now make up more than half of new COVID-19 cases in England, accounting for approximately 22 percent and 39 percent of cases, respectively.

Source: xinhua

Amnesty urges Egypt to free dissident activist Alaa Abdel Fattah detained for 1,000 days Rwanda hostel prepares to house children under controversial UK asylum-seeker deal

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.”