Minister Sturgeon: Scotland to start lifting coronavirus measures
January 11, 2022, 5:15 pm

Minister Sturgeon: Scotland to start lifting coronavirus measures

UK-Scotland-Glasgow/Pixabay

The Swiss Info reported accoding to Reuters that Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said on Tuesday, Scotland will start lifting coronavirus measures that were introduced late last year, starting with the removal of limits on crowds at large outdoor events like soccer and rugby matches.

In December, Scotland went further than Prime Minister Boris Johnson did in England to slow the spread of the Omicron variant. This included Scotland's semi-autonomous government imposing restrictions on venues and large events.

Sturgeon said the public's behaviour and the booster programme had helped avert the worst case projections given last month, when Scotland cancelled New Year's Eve celebrations.

"From next week, we will begin to lift the measures introduced before Christmas, but we will do so in a phased and careful way, starting with the removal of attendance limits on live outdoor events from Monday," Sturgeon told parliament.

Scotland reports fewer COVID-19 hospitalizations with Omicron than Delta

Sturgeon also said that, while the situation was undoubtedly serious, the rate of increase in hospitalisations was starting to slow.

She also announced a change to the vaccine certification that is needed to get into some venues in Scotland.

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Now it requires booster dose rather than just the initial two-dose vaccination needed previously, if the second dose was more than 4 months ago, although a negative lateral flow test can also be used, Sturgeon said.

Source: swissinfo

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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.”