Turkey plans to expand use of vaccine cards to curb COVID-19 pandemic
September 29, 2021, 12:04 am

Turkey plans to expand use of vaccine cards to curb COVID-19 pandemic

Covid-Turkey-wofkers cleans the street-Shutterstock

The Xinhua reported according to the Hurriyet daily, Turkey is considering expanding the use of COVID-19 vaccine cards to enter packed indoor venues in the upcoming period.

According to the report, proof of vaccination will be compulsory for restaurants, cafes, and shopping malls to curb the pandemic during the winter months, when citizens will spend most of their time indoor.

Mehmet Ceyhan, head of the Department of the Pediatric Infectious Diseases of the Ankara-based Hacettepe University Faculty of Medicine, told Xinhua that the main areas of concern should be workplaces, public vehicles, and some crowded events like wedding ceremonies where the contamination risk is significantly high.

He added, the government should also adopt alternate working hours for workers to reduce jamming in public transportation.

The Xinhua news agency mentioned that under the current regulation, Turks are required to present a negative COVID-19 test result or proof of vaccination for domestic travel and entry to cinemas, theaters, and concert halls.

Meanwhile, the vaccination rate of those who received double vaccine doses in the country of 83 million reached 53 percent on Tuesday.

Ceyhan noted that the vaccination rate of adults needs to be as much as 80 percent to achieve social immunity as Turkey does not vaccinate children below 12 years old.

He remarked that the 53 percent ratio only protects the individuals, and it does not contribute to the achievement of herd immunity.

Ceyhan said: "Furthermore, as the time delays, the effectiveness of the vaccines decreases. Therefore, health authorities should speed up the vaccination campaign as much as possible."

So far, more than 108 million vaccine doses have been administered across the country as part of the vaccination drive launched in January.

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.”