Trial events held in Liverpool did not cause any detectable spread of the coronavirus
May 27, 2021, 7:27 am

Liverpool

Ticket-holders who attended the trials did not need to socially distance or wear face coverings. Photograph from EPA

Trial events held in Liverpool to test Covid-19 transmission did not cause any detectable spread of the virus, the city's health chief has said.

More than 13,000 people attended two nightclub events, a music festival and a business conference in April and May.

Eleven people later tested positive for coronavirus, though less than half of all the attendees returned a PCR test.

Liverpool public health director Matt Ashton said the trials were "undoubtedly a success".

The latest government figures show the city to have an infection rate of 7.4 cases per 100,000 in the week leading up to 21 May, down from 9.8 per 100,000 seven days before.

People who went to the three-day business festival, which began on 28 April, the two club nights on 30 April and 1 May or the Sefton Park gig on 2 May did not need to socially distance or wear face coverings and were encouraged to take both a PCR and a lateral flow test on the day of the event and five days later.

The process saw five people unable to attend after testing positive, four being identified as possibly having the virus at an event and seven having the virus four to seven days after they attended.

Of those who tested positive afterwards, two people had been to the gig at Sefton Park and nine had attended the club events.

Mr Ashton said it was "definitely groups of people who were infected afterwards", but the people "were known to each other, so it is also possible that those people got it after the events".

Prof Iain Buchan from the University of Liverpool, who assessed the pilots, said "timely data and quick action to trace and test contacts of people testing positive, both before and after events, was key to containing potential outbreaks".

He said the events had individually seen between 25% and 43% of attendees returning a PCR test afterwards.

He added that scientists and Liverpool City Council had identified room for improvements, which included maximising ventilation even in large indoor spaces, incentives to return PCR tests for research purposes and issuing tickets only after an assured negative test in the day running up to an event.

Mr Ashton said reopening the entertainment economy remained "incredibly complex and difficult" but was also "incredibly important".

He said the data showed lateral flow tests "will be a key part of the jigsaw" but "really close working" between event promoters, local public health teams "and a range of partners" will also be central to making sure events run safely.

BBC, May 27, 2021, 9:00 AM

Image Ownership EPA

Chinese navigation system Beidou will serve 156 billion dollar home market by 2025 Government promised 401m investment in rail travel

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.”