COVID-19 self-isolation period in England to be cut to five days
January 14, 2022, 7:19 am

COVID-19 self-isolation period in England to be cut to five days

Sajid Javid

The Arab News reported according to Reuters that Health Secretary Sajid Javid said on Thursday, the minimum COVID-19 self-isolation period in England will be cut to five days from seven if someone tests negative twice. It is a move that could reduce staffing disruption in businesses and infrastructure.

The rapid spread of the omicron variant has fueled a spike in COVID-19 cases to record highs in Britain, and the surge has cause major disruption to the staffing of hospitals, schools and transport as staff have to self-isolate.

Javid told parliament: “We’ve made the decision to reduce the minimum self-isolation period to five full days in England."

“From Monday, people can test twice before they go, leaving isolation at the start of day six.”

Corona virus-UK combating Corona virus/Pixabay

The government had previously reduced isolation period to seven days from 10 days to people in England who get a negative result on a rapid lateral flow test two days in a row.

Britain has reported 151,000 deaths from COVID-19 in total, the seventh highest death total in the world, with the vast majority of deaths occurring in earlier waves of the pandemic.

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Despite record-high daily COVID-19 cases, the roll-out of booster shots and the lesser severity of the variant has meant hospitalizations and deaths have not risen as sharply.

Javid said: “Due to the lag between infections and hospitalizations, the NHS (health service) will remain under significant pressure over the next few weeks."

UK reports 141,472 coronavirus cases, bringing total number to 14,475,192

“It is encouraging however, that during this wave, we have not seen an increase in COVID-19 intensive care patients. And there are already early signs that the rate of hospitalization is starting to slow.”

Source: arabnews

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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.”