The European Union drug regulator said it found a “possible link” between the AstraZeneca Plc vaccine and a rare blood-clotting disorder, but determined the benefits of the shot outweigh the risks. The U.K.’s regulator echoed that view.

The U.K. began rolling out Moderna Inc.’s vaccine, bolstering Britain’s immunization program amid concerns over the Astra shot and a shortfall of doses. Moderna said it’s on track to meet April vaccine commitments after a report that it would miss a delivery to Germany.

Virus-related deaths hit a record in Hungary on the same day the country started easing curbs, fueling worries the relaxation of constraints came too early. In Turkey, where the government eased social distancing rules on March 1, new cases reached a record.

Key Developments:

• Global Tracker: Cases pass 132.4 million; deaths exceed 2.8 million
• Vaccine Tracker: More than 689 million shots given worldwide
• Covid may boost risks of mental and neurological disorders
• Millions tumble out of global middle class
• The future of travel in the Covid-19 era
• Why feeling bad after your Covid jab could be good: QuickTake

Subscribe to a daily update on the virus from Bloomberg’s Prognosis team here. Click CVID on the terminal for global data on cases and deaths.

Biden Expands Program at Health Centers (10:20 a.m. NY)

U.S. President Joe Biden will offer Covid-19 vaccine shipments to all of the nation’s community health centers, adding 2,500 delivery sites in a program aimed at closing the racial gap in inoculations.

The White House will announce Wednesday that 520 more such centers will be eligible to receive vaccine shipments, increasing the total to about 1,470 across the U.S., an official familiar with the plans said, speaking on condition of anonymity ahead of the announcement.

EMA Sees Possible Astra Clot Link (10 a.m. NY)

The European Union’s drug regulators said there’s a possible link between the AstraZeneca vaccine and a rare type of blood clot in the brain. Still, the regulator said the benefits of the vaccine outweight the risks. An update of the U.K. drug regulator’s safety review is expected soon.

South Korea, meantime, became the latest country to restrict use of the vaccine. It will temporarily suspend shots for people younger than 60, according to a statement issued by the country’s Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency.

Merkel Backs Short Strict Lockdown (7:01 a.m. NY)

German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s spokeswoman reiterated the government’s support for the short, sharp shutdown proposed by Armin Laschet, the chairman of her CDU party.

Due to the stubbornly high infection rate, “any plea for a brief, uniform shutdown is correct,” spokeswoman Ulrike Demmer said at a news conference. “A joint national response would also be important here,” she said, in a reference to Germany’s federal system under which the 16 regions are mainly in charge of health policy.

Merkel is due on Monday to hold the next round of talks with the 16 state leaders on the steps required to get the pandemic back under control.

Moderna on Track for German Deliveries (5:43 p.m. HK)

Moderna is on track to meet April vaccine commitments, a spokesperson said, after Business Insider reported it will miss an expected delivery to Germany of as many as 878,400 doses. The company “is committed to meeting all quarterly contractual delivery agreements with the European Commission and individual member states,” the spokesperson said.

Tokyo May Seek Extra Measures (3:57 p.m. HK)

Tokyo will prepare to ask the Japanese government to impose new restrictions to match the virus control measures currently in effect in Osaka, Governor Yuriko Koike told reporters in remarks carried by broadcaster TBS. Koike will make a decision soon after hearing experts’ opinions on the matter. If Tokyo makes the request, the government will consider it promptly, Chief Cabinet Secretary Katsunobu Kato said at a news briefing.

Hungary Reports Record Deaths (3:03 p.m. HK)

Hungary reported a daily record in Covid-19 related deaths on the day it started easing virus curbs, reinforcing concerns that the relaxation of rules came too early in the country with the world’s highest fatality rate. Health authorities reported 311 deaths as the government shortened a curfew and allowed most stores to reopen and most services to resume.

Turkey Cases Surge After Curbs Eased (2:19 p.m. HK)

Turkey’s daily cases rose to a record 49,584, a five-fold increase since President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced a relaxation of social distancing rules on March 1. Deaths climbed to 211, the most since January 1.

The government was forced to reintroduce some restrictions in big cities last week, such as two-day weekend curfews. However, the implementation of stricter rules will have to wait until mid-April, when the Islamic fasting month of Ramadan starts, according to a statement by Erdogan on March 29.

Philippines Sends Doctors to Manila (2:06 p.m. HK)

The Philippines is deploying more volunteer doctors and nurses to Manila, the epicenter of a new surge in cases that has overwhelmed hospitals. Some 40 health workers from central and southern islands, where there are fewer infections, are flying to the capital on Wednesday and more expected in the coming weeks, the Health Department said. Covid-19 deaths surged by a record on Tuesday to more than 13,800, partly due to delayed data reporting.

Singaporeans Cruise to Nowhere (1:40 p.m. HK)

One-third of the world’s cruise travelers are now from Singapore as international travel restrictions encourage the nation’s residents to board ships that sail out to sea and back again.

The city-state’s ability to contain the coronavirus and resume cruise operations at a time when many other countries still ban them prompted more than 120,000 residents to take a trip -- many multiple times, according to the Singapore Tourism Board. Operators began offering so-called cruises to nowhere last year after authorities introduced a SafeCruise certification, which requires Covid testing prior to boarding, safe distancing and frequent sanitizing.

The nation’s 5.7 million people, on an island smaller than New York City, are mostly unable to travel abroad, or have to pay the cost of quarantine in an hotel when they return, making cruises an attractive way to take a break.

Thai Premier Hints at New Controls (12:14 p.m. HK)

Thai Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-Ocha said he’s concerned about a new wave of Covid-19 infections sweeping the nation’s capital and hinted at fresh controls to stem the outbreak that’s forced the closure of dozens of nightlife venues.

The government may unveil more measures later on Wednesday, Prayuth said, urging people to be more cautious about the latest outbreak. Thailand is nearing 30,000 cases and authorities have already ordered the closure of 196 entertainment venues in Bangkok from Tuesday after new clusters tied to these centers accounted for the majority of recent infections.

Beijing Color-Codes Buildings to Boost Shots (12:01 p.m. HK)

Beijing is putting up color-coded signs on buildings in its financial district to indicate what percentage of workers inside have received Covid-19 vaccines, a move aimed at accelerating the Chinese capital’s immunization roll-out amid intensifying government pressure.

The financial district is leading the campaign to “green code” its buildings, putting up green circular signs that indicate more than 80% of those working in the building have been vaccinated. Yellow notices are for those with 40% to 80% immunization rates, while red logos indicate fewer than 40% of people are protected.

Indonesia Slows Vaccinations on Shortage (11:51 a.m. HK)

The Indonesian government will slow the pace of vaccination because of a shortage of doses due to an embargo in several producing countries, the Health Ministry said in a statement. Indonesia will get a total of 20 million doses of Covid-19 vaccine in March and April compared with a previous plan of 30 million, with shipments to return to normal in May. The government is focusing on vaccinating the elderly during the supply shortage.

India Has Record Surge in Infections (11:50 a.m. HK)

India reported a record number of new infections, adding 115,736 cases in a day and pushing the total past 12.8 million. The Asian nation has the third-largest outbreak and is closing on Brazil to reclaim a spot as the second-worst hit country. Deaths rose to 166,177, according to health ministry data. More than 87 million have received a vaccination shot.

The surge in cases has forced two of its largest cities -- Mumbai and Delhi -- to impose partial lockdowns, including night curfews and strict work-from-home orders. Experts have warned that India’s complacency in tracking the new mutant virus strains poses a challenge in its battle against the new wave of cases.

Mexico Approves India’s Covaxin Shot (9:03 a.m. HK)

Mexico’s health agency Cofepris approved the Covaxin shot from India’s Bharat Biotech for emergency use against the coronavirus, Foreign Minister Marcelo Ebrard said on Twitter. Mexico has now approved six Covid-19 vaccines, Ebrard said, naming AstraZeneca, CanSino, Covaxin, Pfizer, Sinovac and Sputnik V. The country has administered more than 9.6 million shots so far.

South Korea Cases Rise Most in 3 Months (8:45 a.m. HK)

South Korea added 668 new coronavirus cases, the largest daily increase in 13 weeks, raising its total to 106,898. The number of people given a first dose of vaccine topped 1 million, with only 33,000 having received the second shot in a nation of more than 50 million people. The government may tighten social distancing rules when it reviews the measures later this week.

U.K. Rolls Out Moderna Shot (7:00 a.m. HK)

The U.K. will begin rolling out the Moderna vaccine on Wednesday, around two weeks earlier than expected, bolstering Britain’s Covid-19 immunization program amid concerns over AstraZeneca Plc’s shot and a shortfall of doses this month.

Health Secretary Matt Hancock said the Moderna shot would first be offered in west Wales. It’s the third approved vaccine to be offered in Britain, alongside shots from AstraZeneca and partners Pfizer Inc. and BioNTech SE. The U.K. has ordered 17 million doses of Moderna’s two-shot vaccine, enough for 8.5 million people.

Brazil Hits 4,000 Daily Deaths (5:05 p.m. NY)

Brazil reported more than 4,000 Covid-19 daily deaths for the first time as the pandemic continues to rage across the nation. The Health Ministry registered 4,195 fatalities on Tuesday, bringing the total since the virus arrived to 336,947, the second-highest globally, trailing only the U.S.

— With assistance by Adam Majendie, Jennifer Jacobs, Luke McGrath, Emily Ashton, Jonathan Levin, Caroline Aragaki, John Lauerman, Zoltan Simon, Ilya Banares, Christopher Palmeri, Seyoon Kim, Jose Orozco, Claire Che, Suttinee Yuvejwattana, Rieka Rahadiana, Bhuma Shrivastava, and Thomas Mulier