Sanofi has received financial backing from the United States and caused a stir in its home base of France after its British CEO Paul Hudson signalled that Europe was being too slow in supporting work on a vaccine, hinting U.S. patients might get any vaccine it develops first.

The IT solutions company said its roughly 80,000 group employees in Japan would work flexible hours, and work-from-home would be standard wherever possible.“We will overhaul our current work, allowance and welfare framework that is based on the assumption that employees commute to designated offices every day,” Hiroki Hiramatsu, head of the human resources unit, told a news briefing.

Touching the Kaaba, the holiest site in Islam, will be banned during the haj this year, and a social distancing space of a meter and a half between each pilgrim during the rituals including mass prayers and while in the Kaaba circling area will be imposed, a statement by the Center for Disease Prevention and Control (CDC) elaborated.

According to the Health Ministry, remdesivir drug is only for restricted emergency use on patients with moderate disease (those on oxygen support). The drug can not be administered to a pregnant or lactating mother and children below the age of 12 years. Also, the drug is not recommended to a patient with severe renal impairment and a high level of liver enzymes.